Pharrell Williams is receiving major backlash for his response to the decision made by a grand jury in Ferguson, Missouri to not indict Officer Darren Wilson for the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown.
In an interview with Ebony Magazine, the "Happy" singer was asked if he had seen the surveillance video allegedly showing Brown stealing cigarillos from a local convenience store and pushing a smaller store employee before being confronted by Wilson.
"It looked very bullyish, that in itself I had a problem with," Williams replied. "Not with the kid, but with whatever happened in his life for him to arrive at a place where that behavior is OK. Why aren't we talking about that?"
His continued, "The boy was walking in the middle of the street when the police supposedly told him to 'get the f**k on the sidewalk.' If you don't listen to that, after just having pushed a storeowner, you're asking for trouble."
However, Williams did not spare his opinion on Wilson's decision to shoot Brown, saying that the officer should be punished for his actions.
"I believe that Ferguson officer should be punished and serve time," he said. "He used excessive force on a human being who was merely a child... Some of these youth feel hunted and preyed upon, and that's why that officer needs to be punished."
Williams' comments received major criticism from those that defended Brown's, with one Twitter user writing, "Did y'all read what silly & idiotic @Pharrell said to Ebony about Ferguson? Y'all have to learn that most of these Black celebs don't care."
Davon Magwood tweeted: "Just saying. @Pharrell is a coward. Great musician. But a coward. I hope no young black men look up to him. He's a coward."
