Ferguson Grand Jury Refuses to Indict Police Officer Who Killed Michael Brown

By Carl Gibson, Reader Supported News

24 November 14

fter months of deliberation and consistent protest from community members, a grand jury in Clayton, Missouri, has decided that Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson, 28, will not stand trial for shooting and killing 18-year-old Michael Brown, who was unarmed.

On the day of the incident, Wilson stopped Brown for jaywalking, unaware that Brown and his friend Dorian Johnson were alleged suspects for petty theft at a nearby convenience store. Wilson claims he and Brown struggled momentarily before he pulled the trigger. Brown was shot multiple times in the head, and multiple witnesses say Brown was on his knees with his hands in the air, telling Wilson not to shoot before he was killed. Brown’s body lay in the street on Canfield Drive, over 100 feet away from Wilson’s car, and remained there for 4.5 hours before Brown’s body was removed by a police SUV.

Last week, Missouri governor Jay Nixon declared a state of emergency for the St. Louis area, deploying the Missouri National Guard and authorizing the Missouri Highway Patrol, the St. Louis County Police Department, and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police to act as a “unified command” to respond to protests. At a press conference on November 24, St. Louis mayor Francis G. Slay said the safety of those who disagreed with Ferguson protesters was a “paramount” concern.

Michael Brown’s parents, Leslie McSpadden and Michael Brown, Sr., urged protesters nationwide to participate in a moment of silence for Brown for 4 minutes and thirty seconds, to symbolize the 4 hours and thirty minutes Brown’s body was left in the street after he was shot to death on August 9th. Hundreds of protesters are have surrounded the Ferguson Police Department, and solidarity protests are underway in Columbia, Missouri; New York City, Seattle, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Oakland, Chicago, Albuqerque, Salt Lake City, Sacramento, Fayetteville, Arkansas; Austin, Texas; and Sanford, Florida, where Trayvon Martin was killed. Dozens more cities have pledged to hold protests in the days following the announcement. For a full list of protest locations, visit fergusonresponse.tumblr.com.

Carl Gibson, 26, is co-founder of US Uncut, a nationwide creative direct-action movement that mobilized tens of thousands of activists against corporate tax avoidance and budget cuts in the months leading up to the Occupy Wall Street movement. Carl and other US Uncut activists are featured in the documentary "We're Not Broke," which premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. He currently lives in Madison, Wisconsin. You can contact him at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , and follow him on twitter at @uncutCG.

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