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Fraternity Group Offers To Pay For Michael Brown's Funeral

DETROIT (WWJ) - "I wanted our organization to really be injected into the fabric of the discussion, and to support a family that is obviously very distraught," said Mark Tillman with Alpha Phi Alpha.

Tillman is general president of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity which is offering to pay the full cost of Michael Brown's funeral service.

He spoke with WWJ City Beat Reporter Vicki Thomas about the community response.

"I've been seeing the reports on the latest updates - so the response from just general individuals and membership and other folks that know me on Facebook ... have been excited by it," Tillman said.

To date there hasn't been a response by the Brown family to the offer.

"I will be meeting with our general council who lives locally in St. Louis and he's keeping me up-to-date as soon as additional information is known," said Tillman.

"My message is; we have to be personally involved to ensure that another Michael Brown or Trayvon Martin or any other individuals that don't get coverage for their story - that we protect our young men, moving forward."

Tillman said he was shocked by the results of a private autopsy which showed that Brown had been shot six times, including two times in the head.

"It was running through my mind, what precipitated that act," he said.

Tillman notes that Martin Luther King Jr. was a member of this organization and says that they want to see his message continue through this act.

Reverend Al Sharpton and others are also offering to pay for Brown's funeral.

TIMELINE: The Death Of Michael Brown And Unrest In Ferguson

Get the latest in the Ferguson Case [HERE].

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