Darren Wilson Not Indicted for Michael Brown Shooting [UPDATED]
A grand jury in Ferguson, Missouri, chose not to indict Officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of Michael Brown this past August. Prosecutor Robert McCulloch made the announcement Monday at approximately 8:15 p.m. CST.
[More extensive video of the press conference, along with photos from Ferguson are below. Further video of various incidents in Ferguson can be seen here.]
UPDATE 11:15 P.M. CST: Multiple buildings have now been set on fire. Police are attempting to clear any affected areas. There have been multiple reports of gunfire and looting throughout the town. The media is going through the documents regarding the grand-jury investigation, though it will take some time to get a clear picture of what took place.
UPDATE 10:15 P.M. CST: At least one building in Ferguson has been set on fire. There are conflicting reports on whether police have been using tear gas or smoke bombs. The situation may still be escalating at this point.
UPDATE 9:22 P.M. CST: One police car was destroyed by protestors following the grand-jury announcement. Police have responded by firing tear gas or smoke bombs at crowds in an attempt to get them to disperse.
In recent days, as anticipation of the indictment announcement grew, Missouri Governor Jay Nixon and various national leaders have urged citizens—no matter which way they feel about what happened—to remain peaceful and register their protestation or support in a calm manner. Michael Brown's family has done the same, asking that their son's memory not be tainted by violence in the event that Officer Wilson was cleared.
Hundreds, possibly thousands, have descended on the small St. Louis suburb, and police have been preparing to handle the large crowds, which may be very emotionally motivated, one way or another, once the grand jury's decision is made public. In the lead-up to the announcement's release, crowds did remain calm in general, though there were numerous anti-police and anti-establishment chants.