Grand Jury Fails to Indict Micheal Browns Killer:Ferguson

Outbackjack: A white police officer will not face charges for fatally shooting an unarmed black teenager in a case that set off violent protests and racial unrest throughout the nation.

A St. Louis County grand jury declined to indict officer Darren Wilson, 28, for firing six shots in an August confrontation that killed 18-year-old Michael Brown, St. Louis County prosecutor Robert McCulloch said Monday night.

The decision had been long awaited and followed rioting that resembled war-zone news footage in this predominantly black suburb of St. Louis.

Prosecutor McCullough made the announcement in an unusual nighttime presentation in a courtroom. He spoke at length about media coverage of the case and what he called the unreliability of eyewitness accounts. He said the grand jury weighed evidence and testimony before concluding there was no probable cause to indict the officer.

"The duty of the grand jury is to separate fact from fiction,'' McCulloch said.

He said prosecuting attorneys presented five potential indictments to the grand jury, and all were rejected.

"The jury was not inclined to indict on any charges,'' Benjamin Crump, an attorney for Brown's family, said after being informed of the decision by authorities.

Outbackjack: Brown's family attorneys received a call from McCulloch shortly before the announcement. Crump took the call and and delivered the news to Brown's family in an area hotel.

"The jury was not inclined to indict on any charges," Crump said to Lesley McSpadden, Brown's mother. "He (McCulloch) said he would be willing to meet with you all."

McSpadden began crying and shouting. Her body vibrated with pain as she jumped to her feet.

"I do want to meet with him right now," McSpadden screamed. "What do you mean no indictment?!"

She then ran out of a hotel room followed by family members.

Brown's family later released a statement saying, "We are profoundly disappointed that the killer of our child will not face the consequence of his actions.'' The urged others who share their pan to "channel your frustration in ways that will make a positive change.''

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon, a Democrat, called for calm after calling up National Guard troops to stand by in case of unrest. Speaking before the decision was announced, he urged that "regardless of the decision, people on all sides show tolerance, mutual respect and restraint.''

Crowds gathered around the Ferguson police headquarters in anticipation of the announcement at the courthouse in Clayton, Mo., another St. Louis suburb.

The 12-person grand jury had been considering whether probable cause existed to bring charges against Wilson, 28, the white officer who fatally shot Brown, an 18-year-old black man, after their Aug. 9 confrontation. The shooting inflamed tensions in a largely minority community that is patrolled by an overwhelmingly white police force.

Brown's lifeless and bleeding body lay for more than four hours in a Ferguson residential street after the shooting, prompting dismay and anger as a crowd gathered. Protests turned into rioting and looting the following night, and police responded with armored vehicles and tear gas, triggering a nationwide debate over police tactics.

The 12-person grand jury, including nine whites and three African Americans, had been meeting in secret for months, hearing evidence and weighing whether Wilson's should face charges that could have ranged from involuntary manslaughter to murder.

Brown's family joined thousands of protesters to demand Wilson's arrest. As anger at official inaction grew following Brown's death, protesters clashed with police, who began patrolling the streets with military-grade weapons and armored vehicles.

Wilson has been on paid leave and largely invisible since the shooting.

While the grand jury met in secret to hear evidence in the case, two starkly different versions of the events leading to the shooting emerged in media accounts.

Police have said a scuffle broke out after Wilson asked Brown and a friend to move out of the street. Wilson told investigators he shot Brown only after the teenager reached for the officer's gun. Some witnesses said Brown had run away from Wilson, then turned and raised his hands in the air in a gesture of surrender before he was shot in the head and chest.

Outbackjack: The unusual timing of the grand jury's announcement, after darkness had fallen, was a decision of prosecutors, Nixon said.

He said several local churches would provide shelter, safe haven and medical care in the event of unrest.

As officials called for peace, security preparations were beefed up around the courthouse and at other locations including the Ferguson police headquarters. Barricades were erected and Missouri state troopers were present with rifles, 3-foot batons, riot shields and other equipment. Crowds of protesters waving signs and chanting spilled into streets near the police offices.

"This is not the time to turn on each other; it is a time to turn to each other,'' said St. Louis County Executive Charley Dooley. "We are one community,'' he said.

St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay acknowledged the case "has deeply divided us'' but said "turning violent or damaging property will not be tolerated.''

"The world will be watching us,'' Slay said.

Anthony Gray, a lawyer for the Brown family, said they were informed the announcement by the county prosecutor, Robert McCulloch, was imminent.

Police have said Brown struggled with Wilson inside his police car, then reached for Wilson's weapon. Brown's family and some witnesses say Wilson killed Brown as he raised his hands in surrender.

The death of Brown, 18, touched off weeks of protests, and the decision by the grand jury on whether to bring charges prompted extraordinary precautions by law enforcement and the community. The Ferguson school district canceled Tuesday classes.

Outbackjack: Police officials and protest organizers have collaborated on rules of engagement -- that is, rules for conduct when protesters meet police again on the streets. Nixon has declared a state of emergency and activated the state's National Guard.

Brown's family called for 4½ minutes of silence after the grand jury announcement, Maggie Crane, spokeswoman for St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay, said in a tweet Monday afternoon.

St. Louis County Police asked for donations for officers working round-the-clock shifts in Ferguson. Items requested on the department's Facebook page include Visa gift cards, water, Gatorade, soda, hand and foot warmers, DayQuil and cough drops. The department said it uses the gift cards to order hot meals for the command centers.

Outbackjack: This is ridiculous!

This clown should have been charged and all this so called "contradicting" evidence could have been tested in court with the witnesses being put on the stand and being cross examined by an actual prosecution.

Its a kangaroo court.

Outbackjack: Vice News is in Ferguson now on the streets live filming if there will be a backlash:

Captain Canada: Wow another news cast brought to you by Outbackjack, newscaster for Wireclub media.

chronology: Jack. Yes the facts are contradictory, which is usual in every public event. But what we know of Police Officer Wilson is that he is an Officer with an impeccable Service Record and has never been convicted of any Racist Crime. There are 'Core Facts' in the conflicting evidence, among the facts are that Brown was 'inside' Officer Wilsons Car at the beginning of the dispute, he had leaned into the Police car and began beating Officer Wilson, after punching Officer Wilson and being frightened off by the Police Officer firing his gun, Brown ran away. Brown then turned around and began running at the Officer who had no option but to shoot him in self defence. Clearly Jack, this was self defence. Could the incident have been handled differently by Officer Wilson. Well Hindsight is fine but meaningless in such cases. Pepper Spray was in the Officers Belt, but he had reached for his handgun initially inside the car as Pepper Spray is counter productive inside a small space like a car. As the Officer stepped out of his car he was still holding his Service firearm he used to defend himself in the car, with only seconds before Brown reached him running at him there was no time to unclip his Pepper Spray. The Officers Baton was inside his car, he could not use that while holding his gun.

Sorry Jack, but all this points to self defence by Officer Wilson. Had the Police Officer not been beaten and attacked inside the confined space of his car, he may have had an opportunity to use his Taser or Pepper Spray.

Some people have speculated Brown's behaviour was so weird he was on drugs or had a fit of some kind. My own humble view is that Brown simply was convinced he would be Taserd or Maiced he never thought he would be shot. Normally he would not have been. But circumstances were against Brown that day.

calybonos: What we, as the public, have learned, is what 12 grand jury members selected by a judge (and who appointed the judge?) have told us.

Does this mean a cover-up? No, of course not, but it hardly a transparent process.

While the shear numbers of cases prevents justice system from automatically sending every incident to a public trial by our peers, when the decision is made behind closed doors in such high profile cases, you have to expect that it will breed distrust.

Sure, it has been promised that the evidence presented to these 12 hand picked grand jurors will be revealed in the near future, but it cannot be challenged or cross examined at this point.

Would a jury of Police Officer Wilson's peers have convicted him of any number of charges ranging from Murder on down to involuntary manslaughter?

We'll never know.

But if the Rodney King trial, with it's clear video evidence is any indication.....probably not.

pilgrim12: Police especially in america have no rules of engagement i have not followed this perticular incident but i have deployed to civil unrest on operation banner in Northern Ireland our brief was to act subdued untill we were in danger or those in the vicinity of such danger,so whatever the colour put yourself in the coppers position,the call ,the action takes a split second to him that meant danger,he acted.

davidk14: .

pilgrim said:

Police especially in america have no rules of engagement

David responds:

The police in America are highly regulated and highly trained. Your comment is ridiculous.

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pilgrim12: Well you would know but not up to military standards? or would you know that without reading on it?

pilgrim12: We in the UK don't get stopped daily by armed police but we have not your problem arming all civilians,you play with guns you brings deaths.

pilgrim12: You*

Outbackjack: We all know what you get when you dress up soldiers as police in the U.K during the 1984 miners strike.

You get a bunch of thugs.

pilgrim12: Really before my time but maggie never called on the army,the old bill did what they shouldn't have so get it straight aussie.

Outbackjack: Yes she did.What would you know?

She dressed up soldiers in policeman's uniform.

I have family members who were miners in the South Yorkshire are.

pilgrim12: Bollocks go sleep and wake in the morning,no regiment,no troops was involved with that i have family too who are in wales ,nah no squaddies or any badge was involved.

Outbackjack: Denial is not a river in Africa.You have absolutely no idea.Too much agent orange or depleted Uranium for you.

pilgrim12: Haha at least i play with it ,you stay in your armchair ,im not arguing i cant rabbit without a mush but be assuired all i have done its not denial i have questioned everything i have done,have you?

davidk14: .

The police and the military have two completely different rolls. The police are to protect and serve the citizen. The military is armed and trained to do the primary roll of killing the enemy. That is what they are designed to do. They should never be placed in a police roll on foreign soil. I thought everyone remembers the early days of the invasion of Iraq after the combat mission was over. The military became the cop and that did not work out too well now did it.

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pilgrim12: You looked that up? military are given variours brifes depending on the operation ,i have been 3 tours afghan,1 iraq,Ireland,i have worn the blue beret of the UN in yogoslavia,i have policed civilian unrest ,its you have no idea again you read,do it,be there.