Campaign trail whoppers dominate The Washington Post’s annual list of the biggest political “Pinocchios” of 2015, published Monday.
But among a collection of dubious statements that earned four “Pinocchios” from Republican poll leader Donald Trump and other candidates is the phrase that launched countless protests and calls for police accountability and reform: “hands up, don’t shoot.”
Those words, which rose to the public consciousness following the August 2014 shooting of Michael Brown by police officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Missouri, rang hollow with federal investigators.
As the Post first noted in its March 19 fact check, a St. Louis County jury could not confirm testimonies to the effect that Brown had been holding his hands above his head and telling Wilson not to shoot him.
A Department of Justice investigation released earlier in March could not corroborate those details, either, after interviewing roughly 40 witnesses…
Source: ‘Hands up, don’t shoot’ ranked one of biggest ‘Pinocchios’ of 2015
Join the conversation!
We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, vulgarity, profanity, all caps, or discourteous behavior. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain a courteous and useful public environment where we can engage in reasonable discourse.