Darren Seals, Ferguson activist, shot dead; his body found in burning car

An activist who helped lead protests against police brutality in Ferguson, Missouri, following the 2014 death of Michael Brown Jr. was found fatally shot inside a burning car this week in nearby North St. Louis County.

St. Louis County Police identified 29-year-old Darren Seals as the man found dead inside the burning vehicle early Tuesday. Police were called to the 9600 block of Diamond Drive for a report of a vehicle fire around 1:50 a.m. Tuesday. Once the fire was extinguished, Seals’ body was recovered.

Seals, a factory line worker and hip-hop musician, became an outspoken protester in Ferguson after Brown’s 2014 death. Brown, an 18-year-old black man, was unarmed when he was shot and killed by white Ferguson police Officer Darren Wilson.

Brown’s death and a subsequent decision by prosecutors not to bring charges against the officer set off protests and riots that engulfed St. Louis suburb and triggered a national debate over police practices that target black residents as well as the frequency of officers’ use of deadly force.

Seals recounted standing next to Brown’s mother, Lesley McSpadden, as prosecutors announced they would not bring charges against then-Officer Wilson in an interview with MTV News in November 2014.

“We already knew what the decision would be, but at the same time it still hurt to hear it. [Darren Wilson] got married right before the decision, so that’s how we knew he wasn’t going to jail. That was the ultimate slap in the face,” Seals said at the time. “And for Mike Brown’s mother to be right there in my arms crying — she literally cried in my arms — it was like I felt her soul crying. It’s a different type of crying. I’ve seen people crying, but she was really hurt. And it hurt me. It hurt all of us.”

St. Louis County police have not released any details about any possible suspects or motives in Seals’ death.

The St. Louis American reported that Seals had recently uploaded a video to Facebook Live in which he talked about his own experience with the Ferguson Police Department and said officer drew guns on both him and his younger brother.