The source worded the question as follows: "From what you know, should the police officer who killed a black teenager be found guilty of murder or was he acting in self-defense?"
The source does not provide the exact wording of the answer options, The wording chosen here may therefore differ from the original.
Citation formats
Police officer who shot Michael Brown in Ferguson - guilty or self-defense 2014
This statistic shows the results of a survey on the recent shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, by a police officer. The survey was conducted in August 2014, roughly a week after the shooting, throughout the United States. During the survey, 26 percent of respondents were convinced that the police officer acted in self-defense when he shot Brown, while 23 percent of respondents believe he should be found guilty of murder.
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Rasmussen Reports. (August 18, 2014). United States: Should the police officer who killed a black teenager in Ferguson be found guilty of murder or was he acting in self-defense? [Graph]. In ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ. Retrieved August 04, 2026, from /statistics/317786/police-officer-who-shot-michael-brown-in-ferguson-guilty-or-self-defense/
Rasmussen Reports. "United States: Should the police officer who killed a black teenager in Ferguson be found guilty of murder or was he acting in self-defense? ." Chart. August 18, 2014. ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ. Accessed August 04, 2026. /statistics/317786/police-officer-who-shot-michael-brown-in-ferguson-guilty-or-self-defense/
Rasmussen Reports. (2014). United States: Should the police officer who killed a black teenager in Ferguson be found guilty of murder or was he acting in self-defense? . ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ. ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ Inc.. Accessed: August 04, 2026. /statistics/317786/police-officer-who-shot-michael-brown-in-ferguson-guilty-or-self-defense/
Rasmussen Reports. "United States: Should The Police Officer Who Killed a Black Teenager in Ferguson Be Found Guilty of Murder or Was He Acting in Self-defense? ." ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ, ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ Inc., 18 Aug 2014, /statistics/317786/police-officer-who-shot-michael-brown-in-ferguson-guilty-or-self-defense/
Rasmussen Reports, United States: Should the police officer who killed a black teenager in Ferguson be found guilty of murder or was he acting in self-defense? ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ, /statistics/317786/police-officer-who-shot-michael-brown-in-ferguson-guilty-or-self-defense/ (last visited August 04, 2026)
United States: Should the police officer who killed a black teenager in Ferguson be found guilty of murder or was he acting in self-defense? [Graph], Rasmussen Reports, August 18, 2014. [Online]. Available: /statistics/317786/police-officer-who-shot-michael-brown-in-ferguson-guilty-or-self-defense/
