Protests in Ferguson, Mo., over the Aug. 9 shooting of unarmed African-American teenager Mike Brown by a white police officer have been raging for nine days. Now it appears that Montgomery County is experiencing some residual effects.
On Monday graffiti apparently related to the incident was spotted in Rockville spray painted on the side of the Safeway at the Red Creek Village Shopping Center and on the Norbeck Road bus stop near the intersection of Route 28 and Bauer Drive.
The graffiti written on the side of the grocery store reads “Mike Brown,” with what appears to be a question mark in the middle of the name. The graffiti on the bus stop says “RIP Mike.”
The graffiti was first publicized in a tweet by Sports Illustrated reporter Robert Klemko, who said it was sent to him by a former teacher. Bethesda Beat later located the same graffiti at the shopping center Monday night.
'Mike Brown' graffiti in suburban Maryland, sent to me by a former teacher: pic.twitter.com/rtDhuij6We
— Robert Klemko (@RobertKlemko) August 18, 2014
A Montgomery County Police spokesperson said Tuesday that no one has filed a formal report with police about the graffiti, and therefore no criminal investigation is underway at the moment.
The protests in Ferguson have sparked a national conversation about race relations and the militarization of local police forces, as evidenced by the Ferguson police department’s use of armored vehicles, tear gas and rubber bullets to quell protesters.
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Credit: Andrew Metcalf
