Decision-Making in Ferguson, Missouri: A Case Study

Lets explore a recent case of governmental decision-making from Ferguson, Missouri. On August 9, 2014, Michael Brown, an 18- year-old African American man, was shot by a police officer. Brown was unarmed and was initially stopped by police for walking in the middle of the street and causing a traffic disturbance. The police officer shot Brown six times, and forensic information confirmed that Brown had his hands in the air during the shooting (Ferguson Protests, 2014). After the fatal encounter, Fergusons police chief, Thomas Jackson, made the decision to withhold the name of the officer who shot Brown. This decision caused weeks of violent protests in Ferguson. On Friday, August 15, Darren Wilson was named as the police officer who fatally shot Brown. Later that same day, the Ferguson police department released information connecting Brown and a friend to a robbery at a convenience store. The Department of Justice strongly suggested against releasing this information (Ferguson Protests, 2014). Consider the decisions made by Chief Jackson after the events of August 9, 2014, and answer the following questions:

1. Using Allisons (1971) model, what lens(es) do you believe Chief Jackson used to make these decisions?

2. What role, if any, might Simons (1976) satisfice theory have played in this situation?

3. What might you have done differently

Thank you for your response.