Jenna Piggott

English 2010
Professor Nelson
4/15/15
Translation/ Adaption: Notebook 9

Hands Up, Dont Shoot

The Hands up, dont shoot phrase has become widely known following the
death of unarmed, black teen Michael Brown in early August. This image is a clear
representation of what Browns hands were reportedly doing when he was shot and
killed. Witness accounts spread after the shooting that Brown had his hands raised
in surrender, mouthing the words Dont shoot, his last words before being shot
execution-style. The gesture of raised hands became a symbol of outrage over
mistreatment of unarmed black youth by police. This also became a potent symbol
of the lack of trust between African Americans and law enforcement. Not just in
Ferguson, but in the rest of the country.
This gesture is still being used today, and is vastly familiar in areas of our
country. During the violent protests and unrest, many supporters put their hands up
to symbolize what they believed Michael Browns hands were doing when he was
killed. Many protestors held signs and wore shirts that read Dont Shoot! which
was directed towards the law enforcement to not shoot someone unarmed, in more
particular, black youth and teens. Shortly after Browns death, the hands-up gesture
went viral. The St. Louis Rams players raised their hands as a symbolic gesture

entering the field before a football game, even CNN and Al Sharpton showed their
support by putting their hands up to support Brown. Protesters chanted Hands up,
dont shoot during rallies after a grand jury in the states case against Wilson
decided not to indict Wilson in Browns killing. The phrase and gesture were on
signs, T-shirts, hashtags, memes and magazine covers.
The Justice Department reports state that, Although there are several
individuals who have stated that Brown held his hands up in an unambiguous sign
of surrender prior to Wilson shooting him dead, their accounts do not support a
prosecution of Wilson ( Charters). As detailed throughout the report, some of those
accounts are inaccurate because they are inconsistent with the physical and
forensic evidence; some of those are materially inconsistent with that witnesss own
prior statements with no explanation, credible or otherwise, as to why those
accounts changed over time (Charters). Other witnesses who originally stated that
Brown had his hands up in surrender recanted their original accounts, admitting that
they did not witness the shooting or parts of it, despite what they initially reported
either to federal or local law enforcement or to the media.
This posture raises awareness for police brutality and the killing of unarmed
teens. All of the images with the display of hands-up in support of Michael Brown
are very powerful and convey a deep feeling of support and desire for justice in his
part. However, it is a wrong representation because Brown did not have his hands
up when he was shot by Officer Wilson. Visual representations such as this are a
good way to convey a point and meaning in the right context. Images such as this
are a great way to enhance an essay or argument.

Works Cited/ Sources:

Charters, Justen. Justice Depts Take On What Mike Browns Hands Were Doing
When He Was
Shot Doesnt Fit Narrative. Ij.com (2015): Web Seach. IJ Review.