Just days before he was supposed to head to college, 18-year-old Michael Brown was shot by a police officer in his hometown of Ferguson, Missouri.
Ferguson police have yet to speak with witness Dorian Johnson, Michael Brown's friend who was with him at the time of the shooting, however NBC News interviewed the 22-year-old about the events leading up to Brown's death.
Johnson clocked the altercation with the officer at about 2 p.m. on Saturday, while he and Brown were walking in their neighborhood.
He said the confrontation quickly escalated from the officer ordering them onto the sidewalk to grabbing hold of Brown and threatening him with his weapon. After an initial shot was fired, both Brown and Johnson ran, the former ducking behind a car.
Johnson offered an emotional account of the incident, saying Brown turned to the officer with his hands in the air to explain he was unarmed but was unable to finish before the officer fired several shots at him. Johnson said he never once heard "freeze," "stop" or "hold."
"It hurt him a lot. I [could] see it in his eyes."
Brown's mother, Lesley McSpadden, also condemned the shooting of her son, "you don't do a dog like that."
Johnson was resolute in his conclusion the officer acted unlawfully.
"It was like putting someone to execution... I definitely think he is guilty of murder."
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