Ferguson grand jury doesn’t indict officer who shot Michael Brown

A grand jury in Ferguson, Missouri has decided to not indict a police officer who shot and killed an unarmed teenager in the St. Louis suburb in August.

St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Bob McCulloch announced the decision Nov. 24.

Officer Darren Wilson wasn’t charged in the death of Michael Brown, a black 18-year-old, after a confrontation with the white policeman on a dark street.

After meeting Friday but apparently not reaching a decision, the grand jury reconvened on Monday. The grand jury of nine whites and three blacks had been meeting weekly since Aug. 20 to consider evidence. At least nine votes would have been required to indict Wilson. The panel met in secret, a standard practice for such proceedings.

Brown’s family released a statement through attorney Benjamin Crump following the decision. Lesley McSpadden and Michael Brown, Sr. said they were profoundly disappointed that the killer of their child would not face the consequences of his actions but asked that protesters remain calm.

We respectfully ask that you please keep your protests peaceful. Answering violence with violence is not the appropriate reaction. Let’s not just make noise, let’s make a difference.

Brown Sr. had earlier put out a video calling for peace, no matter what the decision.

Despite the family’s request for peace, the crowd gathered in Ferguson erupted in anger, throwing things at police and knocking down a barricade.

As McCulloch read his statement on the decision, a crowd gathered around a car from which his news conference was being broadcast on a stereo. Brown’s mother, McSpadden, sat atop the vehicle. When the decision was announced, McSpadden burst into tears and began screaming before being whisked away by supporters.

The crowd converged on a barricade where police in riot gear stood along the street. They pushed the barricade down and began pelting police with items, including a bullhorn. Officers stood their ground.

St. Louis County Police said officers have used smoke and pepper spray to disperse crowds near the Ferguson Police Department after some protesters smashed the windows of a police car and threw rocks and other items at authorities.

President Barack Obama said he joins with Brown’s family in urging peaceful protests. Obama made the comments moments after official word of the grand jury’s decision.

President Barack Obama appealed for calm and understanding in Ferguson on Monday after a grand jury decided not to indict in the death of Michael Brown, pleading with both residents and police officers to show restraint.

“We are a nation built on the rule of law, so we need to accept that this decision was the grand jury’s to make,” Obama said.

In a late-night statement from the White House, Obama said it was understandable that some Americans would be “deeply disappointed — even angered” that police officer Darren Wilson wasn’t indicted. Yet he echoed Brown’s parents in calling for any protests to be peaceful, saying that the wishes should be honored as they grieve their son.

At the same time, Obama sought to dispel the notion that race relations have deteriorated, the protests in Ferguson notwithstanding. He called for Americans to turn their attention to ways to bring police and their communities closer together.

“That won’t be done by throwing bottles. That won’t be done by smashing car windows. That won’t be done by using this as an excuse to vandalize property,” Obama said. “It certainly won’t be done by hurting anybody.”

The president said first and foremost the nation is built on the rule of law. He said despite anger and intense disagreement on either side, Americans need to accept the decision that the grand jury made.

Regardless of the outcome, Wilson was expected to resign from the force, where he had been on the job for six years.

Many thought a grand jury decision on whether to charge Wilson would be announced Sunday, based partly on a stepped-up police presence in the preceding days.

The area has been preparing for the decision. Gov. Jay Nixon had asked the National Guard to be on standby. Protests have been common since the shooting, some peaceful, others violent.

Authorities had said they will take a different approach if there is rioting this time and that police have received specialized training.

Schools in the area were planning to cancel classes Monday and Tuesday.

It’s not uncommon for deliberations to take a while in complex cases, said Cole County Prosecutor Mark Richardson, who is not involved in the Ferguson case.

The Justice Department is conducting a separate investigation into possible civil rights violations that could result in federal charges. The department also has launched a broad probe into the Ferguson Police Department, looking for patterns of discrimination.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.