Abstract
In their own words, residents living in high crime, disadvantaged neighborhoods of St. Louis County, MO revealed how they were personally impacted by the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson and the police and public response to it during the first few weeks following the event last August. Three quarters of residents reported being impacted in some way. The most common negative effects were emotional, as well as the daily inconvenience brought on by closed stores and schools and traffic issues. Residents’ opinions about police also suffered. Concerns about the police response relate to a perceived overreaction and specifically, use of military tactics, tear gas, rubber bullets and other tactics. Two-thirds of residents reported that the level of force used in the first few weeks was too much. The most common positive impacts from this event were an increased awareness about issues of racial tension, crime, and profiling. Twenty percent of the 389 residents interviewed participated directly in the protests. Yet, substantial numbers of residents raised concerns about the looting, riots, and vandalism that occurred.