FERGUSON, Mo. — Police Officer Darren Wilson, the suburban St. Louis patrolman who killed unarmed teenager Michael Brown in early August, will not face criminal charges in the controversial shooting death, a grand jury has decided.

Wilson, who is white, became a national figure after he shot the black 18-year-old multiple times in broad daylight on a residential street. The grand jury deliberated for months, and Ferguson was rocked by violent protests in the immediate aftermath of the shooting.

The decision was announced by prosecuting attorney Robert McCulloch, who discussed the lengthy deliberation period of the grand jury, citing consideration of differing witness reports as one reason for the unusually long session.

President Obama gave a brief statement soon after the announcement, calling for a peaceful response to the decision.

“To those in Ferguson, there are ways of channeling your concerns constructively,” he said. Progress can be made, he said, but “that won’t be done by throwing bottles, that won’t be done by smashing car windows."

McCulloch laid out the juror sessions by the numbers: the jurors met 25 times and spent hundreds of hours poring over evidence.

He also expressed condolences for the Brown family. "My heart goes out to them. The family is going to have a loss forever," he said.

On the whereabouts of Wilson, he said, "I have no idea what his status is." Last week several media outlets reported that Wilson was preparing to resign. Had he been indicted, he would have been required to turn himself in to authorities immediately.

Ahead of Monday's announcement, Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon made a plea for peace.

"Our shared hope and expectation is that regardless of the decision, people on all sides show tolerance, mutual respect and restraint," he said.

Meanwhile, officials in Clayton stepped up security measures, erecting barricades around the courthouse to prepare for possible protests. A Yahoo News reporter spotted members of the National Guard arriving in military vehicles. Several Ferguson-area schools have announced they will be closed Tuesday.

“The men and women of the National Guard also will be in the area to provide security at critical facilities like firehouses, police stations and utility substations, and offer logistical and transportation support as needed. This will free up law enforcement officers to do their jobs effectively," Nixon said.

Demonstrators gathered ahead of the announcement holding signs, chanting and honking car horns.

Rest of the article here.

I remember it being such an intense case in the media. Prayers for everyone involved and hurt from both sides.

I mean, it's quite possible that he was, if not right to fear for his life, at least justified to a certain extent, that the killing was regrettable but not wholly improper.

That department, though? Shit needs dissolved yesterday, and there is definite grounds for the federal civil rights investigation. Wilson need not be punished personally, but the real crime would be getting away from this without serious change happening in the St. Louis County forces.

Agreed. Whether all these reports of excessive police brutality are substantiated or not, a high-profile case shows there needs to be monitoring not just for the sake of the police, but for the sake of the peole.

bump

All I gotta say to the people in or around Ferguson after the grand jury's decision is read... is hide yo kids, hide yo wife, and hide yo husband!

There are plenty of cases like this here in my state that are actual examples of police brutality and needless violence, why is it that this case in particular is such high profile when it does seem that the officer was actually at least partially justified?

Let's hope it doesn't come down to that.

Looks like he probably won't be indicted.

tweets coming out are pointing to no indictment, although they havent showed any official announcement.

Question is how will protesters react?