USA-MISSOURI/SHOOTING FILE Ferguson, Missouri braces for grand jury decision in Michael Brown shooting

Record ID: 324709

  • Title: USA-MISSOURI/SHOOTING FILE Ferguson, Missouri braces for grand jury decision in Michael Brown shooting
  • Date: 24th November 2014
  • Summary: ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, UNITED STATES (AUGUST 25, 2014) (UNRESTRICTED POOL) FUNERAL CASKET WITH POSTER OF MICHAEL BROWN VARIOUS OF LESLIE MCSPADDEN STANDING AT SON'S COFFIN, CRYING FLOWERS MAN STANDING AT BROWNS' COFFIN VARIOUS PEOPLE IN CHURCH DANCING
  • Embargoed: 9th December 2014 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA13CTEFQAK30BCZ4QH8FBBUQ4A
  • Story Text: Tensions were building in the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson, Missouri as the community braced for a looming decision by a grand jury over whether to indict the white police officer who fatally shot an unarmed black teen in August.
    The shooting sparked weeks of racial unrest and ongoing demonstrations, and some groups have threatened widespread protests if Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson is not charged with a crime for shooting 18-year-old Michael Brown to death.
    The grand jury is tasked with deciding whether to bring criminal charges against Wilson, who shot Brown dead on Aug. 9. Brown, who was shot six times, died about 30 feet (9 meters) from the patrol car.
    In differing accounts, police have said Brown struggled with Wilson before the fatal shots were fired, but some witnesses say Brown held up his hands and was surrendering when he was shot multiple times in the head and chest.
    The nine white and three black grand jurors have heard evidence from dozens of witnesses, including Wilson, who has been under police protection at an undisclosed location since the shooting, according to Bob McCulloch, the chief St. Louis county prosecutor overseeing the grand jury proceedings.
    Missouri authorities are drawing up contingency plans and seeking intelligence from U.S. police departments on out-of-state agitators, fearing that fresh riots could erupt if a grand jury does not indict a white officer for killing a black teen.
    Many African Americans in Ferguson seem to have little faith in the grand jury process and expect Wilson will not be charged. It is rare for a U.S. police officer to face criminal charges after shooting a citizen in the line of duty.
    In August Attorney General Eric Holder traveled to Ferguson to meet with residents and President Barack Obama weighed in on the government's investigation into the case.
    "It's hard for me to address a specific case beyond making sure that it's conducted in a way that is transparent, where there's accountability, where people can trust the process hoping that as a consequence of a fair and just process, you end up with a fair and just outcome," Obama said.
    If charges are not brought against Wilson, police fear an outbreak of violence not just in the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson, but across the greater metropolitan area and even in other U.S. cities, according to St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar and others involved in the planning meetings.
    Brown's killing sparked days of protests in Ferguson in August and looting that caused millions of dollars of property damage. Brown's family released private autopsy findings in August saying they did not trust local officials account of the incident.
    "They did not want to be left having to rely on the autopsy done by the St. Louis law enforcement agencies, the same individuals they feel are responsible for executing their son in broad daylight," explained Benajmin Crump, an attorney representing Brown's family.
    Police were sharply criticized for what was seen as a heavy handed response to the protests in the days after Brown's death - firing tear gas and arresting hundreds of people.
    Brown supporters, including civil rights activist Rev. Al Sharpton, also criticized the Ferguson police department for its decision to release a video that allegedly showed Brown taking part in a convenience store robbery shortly before the shooting. Police have said the officer who shot Brown had no idea he was a robbery suspect.
    "In all of my life, I've never seen nothing more despicable than while his mother and his father and their families haven't even had the time to bury their son, the police chief would release a tape trying to disparage his name, while his mama's still weeping," Sharpton said at an August rally.
    Supporters of the officer rallied on his behalf, too. "We will not hide, we will no longer live in fear, we as this question: Can justice ever be obtained if one side's supporters live in fear of speaking out?" an unnamed officer said at one August rally.
    Protesters and civil rights groups say Brown's death is part of a national epidemic in which a disproportionately high number of unarmed black men are fatally shot by white police officers, an allegation police deny.
  • Copyright Holder: POOL (CAN SELL)
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: Audio restrictions: This clip's Audio includes copyrighted material. User is responsible for obtaining additional clearances before publishing the audio contained in this clip.
Register