Michael Brown’s mother has been defeated in her bid for a seat on the City Council in Ferguson, Missouri, where her son died in a police shooting that helped give rise to the national Black Lives Matter movement.
Lesley McSpadden lost Tuesday in a three-way race in Ferguson’s 3rd Ward. Unofficial St. Louis County election results show the winner was Fran Griffin.
Brown, a black 18-year-old, was fatally shot by white Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson on Aug. 9, 2014, touching off months of protests and violence. Wilson claimed he was forced to shoot when the unarmed Brown came at him menacingly after attacking the officer during a street confrontation. A St. Louis County grand jury’s November 2014 decision not to indict Wilson sparked renewed unrest.
McSpadden told The Associated Press prior to the election that police accountability would have been a top priority.
Ferguson, a St. Louis suburb, has 21,000 residents, about two-thirds of whom are African-American.
Michael Brown’s mother could soon have oversight over the police department connected to her son’s death, if voters in Ferguson, Missouri, elect her to the City Council.
Lesley McSpadden is among three candidates running in Ferguson’s 3rd Ward on Tuesday. She faces incumbent Keith Kallstrom and Fran Griffin, who has been active on several Ferguson boards.
Brown, a black 18-year-old, was fatally shot by white Ferguson officer Darren Wilson on Aug. 9, 2014, touching off months of protests. Wilson claimed he was forced to shoot when the unarmed Brown came at him menacingly after attacking the officer during a street confrontation. A grand jury’s November 2014 decision not to indict Wilson sparked renewed unrest.
McSpadden is new at being a candidate, but has been at the edge of politics since her son’s death.