When this happened, was the officer apprehending Brown for the robbery?
No he didn’t know about the robbery. He stopped him because he was walking down tge middle of the street and blocking traffic. Just being an a$$
Taking into account all the stories from all the witnesses, the officer, the officer's friend...
As the officer passed by Mike and Dorian, told them to 'get the f on the sidewalk', and they responded with (the ebonic version of "NO"), he hit his brakes to back up.
As he did so, he realized that the faces he just saw matched the description on the police radio of the wanted perps for a felony that had just been recently committed nearby. I believe the officer said he noticed them carrying something which fit the description of the property taken during the Liquor Store robbery.
The officer stopped and tried to get out, but Mike charged the SUV and slammed the door shut.
SO... he wasn't aware it was them when he first saw them, but realized it as he backed up. Remember, all this took place in less than 30 seconds.