'We can't even mourn': Michael Brown memorial tree cut down in suspected vandalism incident

On Saturday morning, a tree was planted and dedicated to the memory of late teen Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.

Less than a day later, the tree was found cut down, with a memorial stone also missing, reports KMOV of nearby St. Louis.

“I can’t understand why someone wants to cut down a tree. What do they want to start something back up again?” a resident who was visiting the park told KMOV.

“It’s not gonna get any better if you keep having stuff like that happen,” added another.

It is unclear who might have cut down the tree, but the Ferguson Police Department is investigating the incident as an act of vandalism.

Since August, protests have periodically swept the city, at times turning violent. Last month, two police officers were shot during a demonstration. In December, when a grand jury announced that it would not seek charges against Darren Wilson, the officer who shot Brown during a much-disputed altercation, many neighborhood businesses were burned down.

On Saturday, the day of the tree’s dedication, Twitter user @GlengoolieBlack offered to “buy a steak dinner for the person who cuts it down.”

The same user wished Hitler a happy birthday today.

The tree was donated to January Wabash Memorial Park in Ferguson by the Black Caucus of the American Library Association. The group hoped that it could help heal the emotional wounds left on the small town in the aftermath of Brown’s officer involved death last August, which brought about months of unrest.

Daniel Rivero is a producer/reporter for Fusion who focuses on police and justice issues. He also skateboards, does a bunch of arts related things on his off time, and likes Cuban coffee.