See post 31 and the accompanied Mike Brown crime scene video at the thread link. Ignore the audio and focus on the first half of the video.
This very well could have been a legitimate shoot.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/bloggers/3192974/posts?page=31#31
Pieces of the puzzle.
Where were Big Mike and friends returning from ?
Why was that officer heading to the apartment complex?
Why did the protesters FIRST attack the QT, then loot it, then burn it to the ground ?
After they burned it, why did they paint SNITCHES GET STITCHES on the rear wall ?
The answers to these questions help define the real situation which Mike and the officer found themselves in.