Thousands pay respects to slain teenager

A casket containing the body of Michael Brown is wheeled out Monday, Aug. 25, 2014, at Friendly Temple Missionary Baptist Church in St. Louis. Hundreds of people gathered to say goodbye to Brown, who was shot and killed by a Ferguson, Mo., police officer on Aug. 9. (AP Photo/St. Louis Post Dispatch, Robert Cohen, Pool)
A casket containing the body of Michael Brown is wheeled out Monday, Aug. 25, 2014, at Friendly Temple Missionary Baptist Church in St. Louis. Hundreds of people gathered to say goodbye to Brown, who was shot and killed by a Ferguson, Mo., police officer on Aug. 9. (AP Photo/St. Louis Post Dispatch, Robert Cohen, Pool)

ST. LOUIS -- Michael Brown's relatives said goodbye Monday to the 18-year-old who was shot and killed by a police officer, remembering him as a "gentle soul" with a deep and growing faith in Christianity and ambitions that one day "the world would know his name."

Thousands of mourners filled the Friendly Temple Missionary Baptist Church in St. Louis for the funeral, which began with upbeat music punctuated by clapping. Some mourners danced in place, and ushers passed out water and tissues.

Eric Davis, one of Brown's cousins, urged the crowd to go to the polls and push for change, saying the community has had "enough of the senseless killings."

Davis described Brown as a "big guy, but a kind, gentle soul." He recalled his cousin once telling the family that someday his name would be known by the wider world.

"He did not know he was offering up a divine prophecy at that time," Davis said.

An uncle, the Rev. Charles Ewing, said in his eulogy that Brown's "blood is crying from the ground, crying for vengeance, crying for justice."

Among the mourners was Will Acklin, a black man from Little Rock.

"It's important in that as a child I was pushed by police, mistreated by police, cursed by police, and I was a good kid," said Acklin, who is 63. "I was an honor student. When I heard this, I felt compelled to come here and show my respects."

Angela Pierre -- a machine operator who once lived in Ferguson, where the shooting happened and fueled nearly two weeks of street protests -- said she hopes the funeral helps turn a page and eases tensions. Most importantly, she hopes it provides healing for Brown's family.

"I really wanted to just be here today to pray for the family and pray for peace," said Pierre, 48, who is black. "When all of this dies down, they're still a mother, father and a family who's lost someone. Sometimes a lot of the unrest takes away from that."

The church's sanctuary, which seats about 2,500, filled quickly. Overflow rooms holding another 2,000 were full, too.

With the church at capacity, many people could not get in and waited outside, crowded into shady areas on a day when the temperature was expected to come close to 100 degrees. Ambulance crews were on hand in case of heat-related illnesses.

Poster-size photos of Brown, wearing headphones, were on each side of the closed coffin, which had a St. Louis Cardinals ball cap atop it. Large projection screens showed a photo of Brown clutching his high school diploma while wearing his cap and gown. He had been scheduled to start training at a technical school two days after his death. He wanted to become a heating and air-conditioning technician.

Brown's father, Michael Brown Sr., had asked protesters to take a break Monday and observe a "day of silence" so the family can grieve.

"Tomorrow, all I want is peace," he had told hundreds of people Sunday in St. Louis' largest city park during brief remarks at a festival that promotes peace over violence. "That's all I ask."

Early Monday morning, the request appeared to be honored. At the Ferguson Police Department, where a small but steady group has stood vigil for two weeks, a handmade sign announced a "break for funeral."

Brown was unarmed when he was shot Aug. 9 by officer Darren Wilson, who is white. A grand jury is considering evidence in the case, and a federal investigation is underway.

Police have said a scuffle broke out after Wilson told Brown and a friend to move out of the street and onto a sidewalk.

Police said Wilson was pushed into his squad car and physically assaulted. Some witnesses have reported seeing Brown's arms in the air -- an act of surrender. An autopsy found Brown was shot at least six times.

Also, a video had been released by police, who say it shows Brown snatching cigars in a convenience store just before he was killed. In the video, the person said to be Brown is seen grabbing a clerk by the shirt and forcefully pushing him into a display rack.

Family and friends say Brown was an aspiring rapper with a gentle, joking manner who dubbed himself "Big Mike." He was good at fixing things, liked computer games, the rapper Lil Wayne, Drake, the movie Grown Ups 2 and the TV show Family Guy.

President Barack Obama sent three White House aides. Others in attendance included the Rev. Jesse Jackson, filmmaker Spike Lee and entertainer Sean Combs, as well as many local and regional civil-rights leaders. The Rev. Al Sharpton was also expected to speak.

Information for this article was contributed by Alan Scher Zagier of The Associated Press.

A Section on 08/26/2014

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