Michael Brown Accepted Christ; Had Dream About Death Before Getting Killed, Family Says
Michael Brown, the 18-year-old unarmed teenager shot and killed by a police officer in Missouri earlier this month, accepted Christ and had an eerie dream weeks before his death that would foreshadow his fate, says his St. Louis-based uncle, pastor Charles Ewing.
Ewing told The Associated Press that Brown recounted the dream to him in which he saw a body laying covered by a sheet. He now believes the protests triggered by angry demonstrators and the public attention that ensued following his nephew's death have fulfilled the meaning of his dream.
"He didn't know whose body it was," Ewing said. "He said, 'One day, the whole world is going to know my name' ... not knowing this is what was going to happen."
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Brown's neighbor, Sharon Johnson, also said she could attest to Brown's faith as he would often stop by to engage in conversation with her about it. She told AP that he "had a more mature mind than a little boy's mind."
His family also described Brown as too much of a "gentle spirit" to play football, which he signed up for during his sophomore year in high school but quit before the first game, because he did not want to hurt anyone, according to his cousin Eric Davis.
Despite police reports that Brown allegedly robbed a convenience store moments before being shot and killed and ongoing speculation that he was linked to a gang, Brown's father said the teenager was a light-hearted kid known for his sense of humor.
"He was funny, silly, he would make you laugh. Any problem going on, any situation, there wasn't nothing that he couldn't solve. He could bring people back together," Michael Brown Sr. told AP.
Since Aug. 9, Brown's death has made daily headlines due to the controversy surrounding the legitimacy of witness and police reports, as well as the riots that have taken place by members of Ferguson's African-American community.
Faith leaders have visited Ferguson over the last few weeks hoping to lead the charge in weakening racial tensions by enraged demonstrators against police. During a visit to Ferguson last week, civil rights activist Al Sharpton emphasized that he was there to help Brown's family ensure they get justice.
"To become violent in Michael Brown's name is to betray the gentle giant that he was. Don't be a traitor to Michael Brown," Sharpton said, according to St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Brown's autopsy revealed that he was shot at least six times by police officer Darren Wilson. Investigators believe he died of wounds to his head and brain.
Brown's family has made funeral arrangements for Monday, Aug. 25, where Sharpton will deliver the eulogy.
