Verdict in Michael Brown Shooting Announced
November 25, 2014
A grand jury convened in the fatal shooting of teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, on August 9 has determined that there was insufficient evidence to indict police officer Darren Wilson for murder or any other crime in the case. The announcement of the grand jury verdict by St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Bob McCulloch sparked a number of peaceful protests in Ferguson and other U.S. cities. Ferguson also erupted into rioting and vandalism, despite pleas for calm by Brown’s parents, President Barack Obama, civic officials, and community leaders. At least 60 people were arrested during rioting that St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar said was “probably much worse” than any previous night of unrest in Ferguson since the teenager’s death. Some 25 buildings were destroyed or damaged by fire, and at least 150 shots were fired by rioters, according to Belmar.
Protesters watch buildings burn in Ferguson, Missouri, on November 25, after St. Louis County’s prosecuting attorney announced that a grand jury had voted not to indict Police Officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown in August. (AP)
Brown, an 18-year-old African American, was unarmed when Wilson, a white policeman, shot him during an altercation. Many in the African-American community demanded that Officer Wilson be charged with murder. After three months of deliberation, however, the grand jury, made up of nine white and three black members, voted not to indict. (The breakdown of the vote was not released.) Prosecutor McCulloch reported that the altercation began with Brown and Wilson engaged in “tussling, wrestling, tug of war or just some movement” after Wilson confronted Brown from his police car. According to McCulloch, Wilson fired several shots, one of which grazed Brown, who then ran away. The prosecutor said that Wilson chased Brown, who turned and moved toward the police officer. Brown was hit by seven or eight shots. The last shot, which pierced the top of Brown’s head, was fatal.
Brown’s death laid bare long-simmering tensions between the African American community and the police. Ferguson’s population of 21,000 is two-thirds African American, while only 3 of the 53-member police force are black. Numerous studies have determined that unarmed, young black men are significantly more likely to be threatened or physically injured or killed by police than whites in similar situations. The U.S. Department of Justice has investigated racial bias in the use of power by police in at least 15 cities.
Additional World Book articles:
