Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson Not Indicted in Killing of Michael Brown
A grand jury has decided against indicting the police officer who in August shot and killed an unarmed black teenager in suburban St. Louis.
The panel ultimately found that Officer Darren Wilson properly followed police protocol and his lethal reaction was justified in the controversial death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., on Aug. 9. The incident left a local community reeling and sparked a series of police brutality protests across the country.
Missouri Prosecuting Attorney Bob McCulloch announced the decision just after 9 p.m. local time Monday night.
“They are the only people the — only people — who have examined every witness and every piece of evidence,’’ said McCulloch. “They determined that no prob cause existed to file charges against Officer Wilson.’’
There are still several possibilities to pursue prosecution despite the lack of an indictment. Both Chris Koster, the Missouri Attorney General, and the U.S. Department of Justice, which launched its own probe of the shooting, could decide to prosecute Wilson.
“We are profoundly disappointed that the killer of our child will not face the consequence of his actions,’’ said Michael Brown’s parents, Lesley McSpadden and Michael Brown, Sr., in a statement issued by their attorney.
“While we understand that many others share our pain, we ask that you channel your frustration in ways that will make a positive change,’’ the statement continued. “We need to work together to fix the system that allowed this to happen.’’
Missouri governor Jay Nixon urged “people on all sides show tolerance, mutual respect, and restraint,’’ he said in a press conference prior to the decision.
Brown’s parents were reportedly “very upset’’ that they were not among the first notified after the grand jury reached a decision earlier Monday, blaming the prosecutor’s office for the apparent oversight.
President Barack Obama called for calm afte rthe grand jury decision was announced.
“This is not just an issue for Ferguson, this is an issue for America,’’ said Obama. “We do have work to do here. We shouldn’t try to paper it over. Whenever we do that, the anger will momentarily subside, but over time it builds up.’’
Though Wilson was reportedly in the “final stages’’ of resigning from the police department, Ferguson Police Chief Thomas Jackson told MSNBC that the officer’s professional fate would be determined by the grand jury’s findings.
“I am not saying that I want Officer Wilson to return or that I don’t want him to return,’’ Jackson told MSNBC. “Legally speaking, if he is not indicted he can return to his job. If he is indicted on felony charges, which these would be, he will be fired.’’
The New York Times reported that Wilson has no plans to return to the police force.
Because of the passionate reaction from protesters both in Ferguson and across the country, federal and local law enforcement had been preparing for the potential fallout from the grand jury decision regardless of its findings.
On Nov. 16, protesters held a “die-in’’ by lying on a street in a symbolic gesture to mark the 100-day point since Brown was killed. Days later, riot police arrested at least five demonstrators after they blocked traffic in front of the Ferguson police station while reciting chants such as “Killer cops have to go,’’ reported Reuters.
Several preventative measures have been put in place, including police in St. Louis agreeing on 11 of 19 “rules of engagement’’ proposed by the Don’t Shoot Colation for effective methods of dealing with the expected large crowds of protesters. According to The Washington Post, one thing that had yet to be agreed on was the group’s request for 48 hours’ notice before the grand jury announced its decision.
Protesters got a significant victory on Friday when a court ruled that police will not be permitted to interfere with people taking photos or recording video of law enforcement after the grand jury’s decision has been reached. Back in August, a Getty Images photographer was arrested while snapping shots of protesters.
The FBI, which has deployed dozens of agents to the area, has advised the public that the decision “will likely be exploited by some individuals to justify threats and attacks against law enforcement and critical infrastructure,’’ according to ABC News. On Friday, armored vehicles that looked more appropriate for a war zone were reportedly seen on a highway driving toward Ferguson in an indication of how the state is readying itself for potential civilian conflicts.
Missouri Governor Jay Nixon declared a state of emergency and activated the National Guard on Nov. 17. The move frustrated US Attorney General Eric Holder in part because Nixon didn’t notify the Department of Justice of his plans, reported CBS News.
Brown’s family has asked protesters to assemble in peace and not act out violently or loot businesses. They also turned their attention to law enforcement, asking for “reasonable restraints’’ instead of resorting to the tear gas, rubber bullets, and detainments that were employed during protests in the days after Brown was killed.
Many area churches planned to open their doors for prayer, shelter, food, and an otherwise safe haven depending on public reaction to the grand jury’s findings. In addition, some local schools have canceled classes for next week.
But in a telling sign, there has also been a surge in local gun sales, a trend that can be attributed to “fear of possible unrest’’ related to the grand jury’s findings, according to St. Louis television station KMOV.
An online forum for police in the St. Louis area reportedly featured an entry warning local residents to keep a gun handy because “Our gutless commanders and politicians have neutered us. I’m serious, get a gun, get more than one, and keep one with you at all times.’’
Authorities were also on alert in Boston, where the local chapter of a group called Black Lives Matter staged a protest last month “against racist policing and police violence both locally and nationally.’’ Boston Police Lt. Michael McCarthy told Fox News that “We’re just trying to prepare in case something does step off, so we are ready to go with it.’’ Later that week BPD posted an online message encouraging the city’s college and university students to protest “responsibly and peacefully.’’
Despite a somewhat checkered past as a police officer — being part of a police force that was disbanded over racial tension, a questionable arrest, and unsettled early days on the job — Wilson has been the recipient of an outpouring of public support, including a Facebook page with more than 16,000 likes. Most recently, a billboard was erected in Ferguson featuring the hash tag “#PantsUPDon’tLOOT,’’ an apparent response to the phrase “Hands Up, Don’t Shoot’’ that was popularized by protesters in the wake of the shooting.
A video was made public this past weekend showing Wilson, flanked by a union lawyer and other police officers, leaving the Ferguson police station and going to the hospital just hours after the shooting. The same group is also seen arriving back at the police station hours later.
In the video, Wilson does not appear to be nursing the reported eye bone fracture he allegedly sustained during the altercation with Brown.
On Aug. 9, Wilson shot Brown at least six times, including twice in the head, after Brown and a friend were stopped by Wilson for allegedly walking in the middle of a street. One witness told the local Fox affiliate that once an argument ensued, Brown and his friend fled on foot moments before Wilson allegedly shot at them. Brown was fatally wounded on the street, where the lifeless body remained hours afterward.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that an examination of police dispatch audio tapes found that the entire episode between Wilson and Brown lasted for less than 90 seconds.
It took six days for the Ferguson Police department to officially identify Wilson as the officer who shot Brown. Prior to naming Wilson, the department released a police report alleging that Brown stole a box of cigars from a convenience store minutes before his fatal encounter with Wilson.
According to a timeline of that day’s events, the time of the alleged robbery and the time when he was stopped by Wilson is separated by 10 minutes. Ferguson Police Chief Jackson, however, has said that Brown and his friend were stopped for “blocking traffic,’’ not because Brown was a robbery suspect. Wilson happened to be in the area after he responded to a separate, nearby call earlier that day, Jackson said.
Brown was set to start college two days after he was killed.
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