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It has been 10 years since Michael Brown, 18, was shot and killed by a Missouri police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, sparking protests and riots that brought public attention to the disproportionate number of fatal encounters between police and Black men across the nation.
Darren Wilson, a Ferguson police officer, shot and killed Brown after he claimed that the teenager attacked him and tried to grab his pistol.
Dorian Johnson, Brown's friend, said that Wilson initiated the conflict by grabbing Brown by his neck through his patrol car window.
The confrontation ended when Wilson shot and killed Brown.
Witnesses said at the time that Brown had his hands up when Wilson shot him, and some reported Brown had yelled "don't shoot," which gave rise to the protest chant "hands up, don't shoot."
A decade later, Brown's parents are marching through the city to the spot where their child was killed to honor his memory.
Brown's father, Mike Brown Sr, and his wife, Cal Brown, will walk four and a half miles from the high school where their son had graduated just a few days before his death, and end their journey at the site where he died.
The father spoke to a St Louis faith leader earlier this week to discuss his son's legacy and death. He said he was "still struggling" even a decade on.
“I definitely get a lot of my justice through my work with my foundation, so that’s what keeps me uplifted,” he said.
In addition to honoring Brown's memory, the march is meant to amplify the fight for justice in policing.
There have been some reforms to policing in the wake of the deaths of Brown, Sonya Massey, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and many, many other Black Americans who died at the hands of police.
Six states and two cities have pushed for more restrictive no-knock police raid laws, and at least five have passed legislation to end or examine qualified immunity, which typically protects police officers from facing prosecution for their actions while on duty, according to Axios.
Ferguson in particular helped to fuel the widespread adoption of police bodycameras in departments across the nation.
Reforms on the federal level have been slower thanks to obstruction by Republicans who reject the notion that systemic racism exists in the American legal system.
Despite pushback to his cause, Mike Brown told St Louis Public Radio that he would never stop fighting to get justice for his son.
“I will never stop fighting and wanting justice for Mike Brown Jr.,” his father said. “Whatever I have to do to bring his case back up or try to get his case back open and make that a priority, I will. [There’s] no statute on murder. It depends on whoever wants to investigate. Hopefully, they’ll do a thorough investigation and not go over old records.”
The All Roads Lead to Ferguson unity walk began at 9am on Friday, and was set to culmninate with a memorial service and a moment of silence for Brown.
