No charges for policeman who killed black teen Michael Brown, sparking Ferguson riots in 2014
- Decision on white officer could reopen old wounds in nation roiled by George Floyd protests against racial injustice
- County’s first black prosecutor says unable to prove beyond reasonable doubt that Darren Wilson had committed murder or manslaughter, after review of evidence
St Louis County’s top prosecutor announced on Thursday that he will not charge the former police officer who fatally shot Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, a dramatic decision that could reopen old wounds amid a renewed and intense national conversation about racial injustice and the police treatment of minorities.
It was nearly six years ago that a grand jury declined to indict Darren Wilson, the white police officer who shot Brown, a black 18-year-old. Civil rights leaders and Brown’s mother had hoped that Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell, the county’s first black prosecutor, would reopen the case after he took office in January 2019.
“My heart breaks” for Michael’s parents, Bell said during a news conference. “I know this is not the result they were looking for and that their pain will continue forever.”
Describing the announcement as “one of the most difficult things I’ve had to do”, Bell said that his office conducted a five-month review of witness statements, forensic reports and other evidence.
“The question for this office was a simple one. Could we prove beyond a reasonable doubt that when Darren Wilson shot Micheal Brown he committed murder or manslaughter under Missouri law. After an independent and in-depth review of the evidence, we cannot prove that he did,” Bell said.
