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St. Louis Grand Jury Declines to indict Police Officer for shooting death of Michael Brown
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.
