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St. Louis Grand Jury Declines to indict Police Officer for shooting death of Michael Brown
A St. Louis County grand jury has declined to indict Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson in the case of the shooting death of Michael Brown.
The grand jury’s decision was announced by prosecutors Monday evening after weeks of speculation about how they would act on the case.
Officials in Missouri called for calm Monday ahead of the announcement. The officer’s fatal shooting of an unarmed black teen in August had touched off weeks of sometimes violent protests.
The announcement was being made at the courthouse in the St. Louis County seat of Clayton, part of the sprawling St. Louis suburbs.
The Governor of Missouri, Jay Nixon urged in advance that “regardless of the decision, people on all sides show tolerance, mutual respect and restraint.”
According to Nixon, the timing of the grand jury’s announcement, after darkness had fallen, was a decision of prosecutors.
He said several local churches would provide shelter, safe haven and medical care in the event of unrest.
St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley also called for calm in an evening news conference. “This is not the time to turn on each other; it is a time to turn to each other. 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.
Police have alleged that 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 after-school and evening activities Monday and said schools will be closed Tuesday “due to the anticipated increase in traffic and possible demonstrations in our area” following the grand jury announcement, acting superintendent Lawrence Larrew said.
Brown’s family in an email 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.
The evidence brought before the grand jury of seven men and five women — three African American and nine white may not be disclosed to the public for some time, if at all.