We now know that teenager Michael Brown punched Ferguson, Missouri police officer Darren Wilson hard enough to inflict a fractured eye socket. Police sources told foxnews.com that Wilson was “nearly beaten unconscious by Brown.” In all likelihood, Wilson’s injuries caused a concussion. A brain injury. Which means Wilson may have been suffering from Post-Concussion Syndrome when he opened fire on Brown. “The condition is associated with a wide range of symptoms,” wikipedia reports, “physical, such as headache; cognitive, such as difficulty concentrating; and emotional and behavioral, such as irritability.” Substitute the word “aggression” for “irritability.” injuryresrouces.com describes the after-effects of traumtic brain injury (TBI) this way . . .
Associations between TBI and neuropsychiatric disorders have been recognized for many years. Aggressive behavior is one of the most socially and vocationally disruptive consequences of these neuropsychiatric disorders. Aggression endangers the safety of patients, families, and caregivers. It may prevent patients from receiving the care that they need and disrupt their rehabilitation process. Estimates of the frequency of aggressive behaviors during the acute period after TBI have ranged from 11% to 96% . . .
calder.med.miami.edu offers a list of symptoms. Anyway, Wilson’s beating certainly affected his ability to process information when Brown turned to face him after the initial fight. As would the inevitable disorienting effects of a gunshot at close proximity. This would seem to be potentially exculpatory information in Officer Wilson’s favor, possibly explaining his actions if in fact Brown charged him as has been reported. Hopefully, we will learn the exact circumstances of the entire incident.