Grand jury in US state of Missouri decides not to indict police officer over Michael Brown shooting in Ferguson

From USA Today

FERGUSON, Mo. — 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 coverafge 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,” McCullouch said.

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

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