CBS presents “13 DAYS IN FERGUSON”.
On the ground 10 years later from that tragic day in Ferguson, Mo.
THIS DOCUMENTARY IS A PRIMETIME SPECIAL LOOKING AT THE PROTESTS, RIOTS AND AFTERMATH FOLLOWING THE POLICE SHOOTING OF A YOUNG BLACK MAN IN FERGUSON, MISSOURI. THE SPECIAL AIRS TONIGHT, FRIDAY AUGUST 9, 2024 at 10 pm EASTERN ON CBS TELEVISION NETWORK.
In August 2014, unarmed 18-year-old Michael Brown, Jr. was shot and killed by police officer Darren Wilson following a confrontation, the killing triggered outrage, protests and rioting. This documentary is airing exactly 10 years after the shooting and the uprising that came in its wake, the special features Missouri natives Cedric The Entertainer and State Highway Patrol Captain Ron Johnson as they revisit key places and recall how the confrontation between protesters and police escalated in a way that would grip the nation. Healing post grief and coping with trauma are all important topics confronted in this special.
This documentary takes viewers back to Ferguson on that tragic day. The city of Ferguson was forever changed, 10 years later and the emotions and heartache can still be felt throughout the city. Actor Cedric The Entertainer grew up not far from the neighborhood where the tragedy unfolded in 2014. As he goes back to the scene of it all, local law enforcer Captain Ron Johnson who became the face of the investigation and lead law enforcer on the ground in the aftermath of the shooting goes back with him to recap and chronicle what happened on that tragic day and the days that followed.
As the country looked on through the media and first hand accounts via social media, the broader discussion about systemic racism and the treatment of unarmed black people in America begin to rise to the forefront and a become a topic of discussion in American homes, workplaces, schools, and social settings. This event served to raise much needed awareness to these topics and even today, 10 years later, people are still fighting, taking to the streets to protest, spreading news via social media, and raising awareness of the mistreatment of black people at the hands of law enforcement.
13 Days in Ferguson interviews the father of slain teen Mike Brown as well as many local leaders, community personnel, and activist who remember the harrowing events of that hot August day in Ferguson. As the documentary progresses, the daily struggle for Caption Johnson is evident as he is a police officer, well known local, family man, and most importantly a respected black man from the community. The documentary shows his journey to enforce the law, empathize with the community, remain loyal to his peers, and hold his head up high as a black man.
Grief, despair, and anger all plagued the community in the days after the shooting. Protest, riots, clashes with officers, vandalism and looting caused chaos and turmoil between citizens and law enforcement night after night in the streets of Ferguson. This story gripped the nation and over a decade later, the city of Ferguson and name Mike Brown still causes painful emotions and brings back personal traumas for many across the nation, especially the loved ones of Mike Brown and those in the community.
In a recent interview with CBS, Captain Johnson stated, “I think we've made some steps and we've gotten better, but we still have a ways to go. We still see things in our country that exist today and still happen today, so we've got a ways to go but we've gotten better.”
13 Days in Ferguson Documentary airs tonight on CBS and will be streaming on Paramount+ (live and on-demand for Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers, or on-demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the episode airs)*.