Residents rioted after the Grand Jury made a final decision not to indict Officer Wilson with criminal charges. Police in riot gear responded with tear gas.
On Monday evening, the Ferguson Grand Jury finalized its decision regarding the innocence of the Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson, who shot and killed Michael Brown, a black teenager. The jury decided to not make criminal charges against Wilson.
Much of the Ferguson community was enraged since the shooting, and claim that Michael Brown was an innocent youth who was murdered by Officer Wilson. Tension between police and civilians was heavy throughout the decision making process of the jury. Questions of racial discrimination and abuse of authority were circulating due to the Ferguson incident.
Hundreds of protesters, waiting outside the police station, were outraged when the decision was made. Officers in riot gear and the National Guard were already stationed in the event of a riot. The family members of the deceased Michael Brown released a statement shortly after the decision, urging the community to peacefully protest.
“We are profoundly disappointed that the killer of our child will not face the consequence of his actions … While we understand that many others share our pain, we ask that you channel your frustration in ways that will make a positive change. We need to work together to fix the system that allowed this to happen,” they said in the statement.
The Ferguson issue has been the center of intense debate and controversy during the past three months. Organizations all over the world peered into U.S. news and commented on the state of society in the United States. The decision was announced in a pressroom filled with reporters around the globe.
Despite the requests of the family, residents of the community rioted in response to the decision. Protesters in the area threw objects at police and set two cruisers on fire. The Los Angeles Times reports that police are implementing tear gas in order to subdue the crowd in Miss.
Groups in various cities over the country began protesting the decision. The Los Angeles Times also reports that a group in Manhattan began protesting the Grand Jury’s decision. They number about 2,000.
President Obama also urged the public to protest peacefully out of respect for Michael Brown’s family.
The exact details and events of the shooting will continue to be investigated after the Grand Jury’s decision.
