Michael Brown Shooting: Audio Allegedly Captures Gunshots

The national media coverage has trailed off significantly over the last several days as the protests have wound down and the public awaits the results of what is expected to be lengthy grand jury proceedings. Not much additional information has been reported but something new did break today and I thought I'd bring it to ATS's attention.

CNN - Attorney: New audio reveals pause in gunfire when Michael Brown shot

The FBI has questioned a man who says he recorded audio of gunfire at the time Brown was shot by Ferguson police on August 9, the man's attorney told CNN.

In the recording, a quick series of shots can be heard, followed by a pause and then another quick succession of shots.
Forensic audio expert Paul Ginsberg analyzed the recording and said he detected at least 10 gunshots -- a cluster of six, followed by four.

The man, who asked that his identity not be revealed, lives near the site of the shooting and was close enough to have heard the gunshots, his attorney said.

He was speaking to a friend on a video chat service and happened to be recording the conversation at the same time Brown was shot, Blumenthal said.

The shots can be heard in the background starting at about 00:33 in the video embedded at the top of the CNN article. There is an approximately 3 second pause between the two bursts. I'm not going to offer my opinion — the legal system is doing its thing — but while we wait patiently to discuss whatever happens next, I thought this was information worth sharing.

Well I guess the first thing to figure out is how many shots would the officers gun have had in it, and was one already chambered? Outside of that, who knows what this guy recorded?

Oh....and I would call complete BS on this audio recording. So...dude happens to be recording himself doing what....a poem or something? He sounds like he is reading from a book...."you are pretty, you're so fine" Seriously? He doesn't even react in the audio....just keeps on talking like nothing is going on. Oh, and I guess he conveniently started recording his love song just after the shot in the car was fired not 30 feet away from the rest of the shots. So that makes 11 shots fired in total.

Sounds like someone just looking for their side to win methinks.......love how this one is from an anonymous source as well.

The whole episode is going to hinge on the shots after the pause. Either the officer executed MB after the intial shots while he was surrendering or MB charged the officer after the initial shots requiring the officer to shoot again.

If it can be proven this is audio from the shooting.

a reply to: Vasa Croe

He's a player and focused on his current task...

originally posted by: roadgravel
If it can be proven this is audio from the shooting.

I have a tape with what sounds like gunshot noises on it too.
We need to see a timestamp and proof that one of the Skypers were near the shooting location at the correct time.

Remember that the video from the store robbery came under such close scrutiny on ATS that people were claiming that it was from one year previous to the time that it was actually made.

What about the first shot that happened during the alleged struggle in the vehicle? Wondering if it did not happen or was left off the audio.

People need to understand that these witnesses have in all probabilty given their statements to the police/FBI long before any news outlets have made contact with them. Its unlikely that CNN et al, go door to door and find new witnesses in time for the evening news.

The audio in question is a guy in what seems to be chatting up someone online over skype. Its not the sort of audio anyone would release unless they had good reason to. Most people don't release their very private matters for the public to listen to. It would seem there was a higher motive for doing so which the witness felt more important than his modesty.

To the audio - this disproves a couple of things; There was no initial shot (as claimed by police). All the first shots come as a group, most likely (consistant with witnesses) as Brown was running away.

The pause in the shots are most likley when Brown stopped and turned. Perhaps a grazing shot or arm shot made him turn.

The remaining shots are the shots to the front (indicated by autopsy) including the fatal shot to the top of the head as Brown was falling.

This is the nail in the coffin as far as evidence goes. Autopsy, Witnesses and Audio all point to a consitent story.

We need to see a timestamp and proof that one of the Skypers were near the shooting location at the correct time.

Hello NSA, we need a time reference and location for a US skype call...

a reply to: Vasa Croe

I hear gun shots every night in my neighborhood. We don't even flinch anymore, we are so used to it.

That whole town is used to it too.

There was no initial shot (as claimed by police)

With out more audio, can't say that. It might be left off, for a reason...

a reply to: spacedog1973

See that is where this recording fails. There was an initial shot inside the car, even reported by Dorian Johnson. What I find almost humorous about this clip is that there is NO reaction from the guy recording....10 shots fired outside your window and you just keep sweet talking your honey on the screen????

And this audio has not been proven to even be of the incident. If shots were fired close enough for your computer microphone to record them behind closed doors then you are REALLY close to the action. No reaction from this guy tells me one of 4 things: 1, it happens all the time and he is used to it so he didn't react, 2, he added the shots to the recording later, or 3, the shots occurred on the other end of the line near whomever he was talking to, or 4, he had a movie playing in the background that had this succession of shots fired so he would not react because he knew it was a movie.

originally posted by: roadgravel

There was no initial shot (as claimed by police)

With out more audio, can't say that. It might be left off, for a reason...

It makes more sense to work with the information available, rather than making assumptions about it.

originally posted by: BerenstEiner
a reply to: Vasa Croe

I hear gun shots every night in my neighborhood. We don't even flinch anymore, we are so used to it.

That whole town is used to it too.

So you wouldn't flinch or even stop your conversation to look out the window if you heard a volley of 10 shots fired close enough for your computer microphone to record them? Not even take cover knowing they were that close?

a reply to: theantediluvian

If this is really a recording of the shots Wilson fired on Brown it seems to me further evidence stacked against Wilson.

originally posted by: spacedog1973

originally posted by: roadgravel

There was no initial shot (as claimed by police)

With out more audio, can't say that. It might be left off, for a reason...

It makes more sense to work with the information available, rather than making assumptions about it.

Base the whole thing on just a few seconds that don't match other accounts. Yeah, go with that as the whole story.

originally posted by: Vasa Croe
a reply to: spacedog1973

See that is where this recording fails. (1)There was an initial shot inside the car, even reported by Dorian Johnson. What I find almost humorous about this clip is that there is NO reaction from the guy recording....10 shots fired outside your window and you just keep sweet talking your honey on the screen????

(2)And this audio has not been proven to even be of the incident. (3) If shots were fired close enough for your computer microphone to record them behind closed doors then you are REALLY close to the action. No reaction from this guy tells me one of 4 things: 1, it happens all the time and he is used to it so he didn't react, 2, he added the shots to the recording later, or 3, the shots occurred on the other end of the line near whomever he was talking to, or 4, he had a movie playing in the background that had this succession of shots fired so he would not react because he knew it was a movie.

(1)According to the audio, there was no shot inside the car. We have to work with the information available.
The guy was on skype or another online service, using headphones. Its not strange that he didn't hear during a conversation.
(2)We have to accept (some reluctantly), that these witnesses come from the investigation. They have already been vetteded and interviewed long before CNN talk to them.
(3) Shots are high pitched sounds and can be easily enhanced which I suspect has been done for TV.

The distrust of information has no basis.

originally posted by: roadgravel

originally posted by: spacedog1973

originally posted by: roadgravel

There was no initial shot (as claimed by police)

With out more audio, can't say that. It might be left off, for a reason...

It makes more sense to work with the information available, rather than making assumptions about it.

Base the whole thing on just a few seconds that don't match other accounts. Yeah, go with that as the whole story.

What other accounts?

a reply to: spacedog1973

It's amazing you concluded (as the nail in the coffin) what happened from the supposed audio from the case. So, you are positive that the shot on the top of the head occurred as Brown was falling as oppposed to charging the officer with his head down? Wait, if all the witness statements agreed, wouldn't the autopsy have shown some shots in the back? Some witnesses claimed he was shot in the back. Since you are an audio forensics expert you must be able to tell if JFK's headshot came from the book depository. Please, I want to know.

Mr. Johnson saying a shot was fired in the vehicle. What about 1 minute of audio before the shots and after?

You are going base fact of the complete incident on a couple of seconds of ripped out audio.