Fearsome: A demonstrator flashes the
victory sign before a burning police car during clashes between police
and protesters over the decision in the shooting death of 18-year-old
Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri
Pizza: Firefighters work on
extinguishing the burning Little Ceasar's restaurant in Ferguson
Missouri, USA, on 24 November 2014 after the grand jury decision
Race: A firefighter walks past the
burning Little Ceasars restaurant in Ferguson Missouri, USA, 24 November
2014. According to St Louis County Prosecuting Attorney, the Grand jury
decided that Ferguson police Officer Darren Wilson will not be charged
in the shooting death of unarmed teenager Michael Brown
Blaze: Police warned protesters Monday night to stay away from burning police cars which contain live ammunition
A car burns on the street after a
grand jury returned no indictment in the shooting of Michael Brown in
Ferguson, Missouri on November 24
Arson: Two men walk by the burning
Little Caesars restaurant in Ferguson Missouri, USA, on 24 November 201
after a gjury decided that Ferguson police Officer Darren Wilson will
not be charged in the shooting death of unarmed teenager Michael Brown
After months of reviewing the
evidence, the 12 men and women on the grand jury decided not to bring up
any of a handful of possible charges against Wilson, which included
first-degree murder, second-degree murder, voluntary manslaughter, and
involuntary manslaughter
St Louis County Prosecutor Robert
McCulloch made the announcement around 8:30pm, first stating his
condolences to the victim's family and explaining the 'exhaustive'
process the grand jury went through before coming to their decision
Rage: After months of waiting, the
decision was finally made public late on Monday as the St Louis suburb
of Ferguson braced for protests following months of unrest in a case
which has become a flash point for race relations in the U.S
Inferno on the streets: At the
Ferguson Police Department in Ferguson Missouri as protestors decided
to set parts of the city alight
Guard: Police officers stand in a line
next to a burning police car during a demonstration on November 24,
2014 in Ferguson, Missouri. A St. Louis County grand jury has decided to
not indict Ferguson police Officer Darren Wilson
Firefighters try to extinguish a
burning restaurant set on fire after protesters rioted following the
grand jury announcement in the Michael Brown case on November 24, 2014
in Ferguson, Missouri. Ferguson has been struggling to return to normal
after Brown, an 18-year-old black man, was killed by Darren Wilson, a
white Ferguson police officer, on August 9. His death has sparked months
of sometimes violent protests in Ferguson. A grand jury today declined
to indict officer Wison
Prosecuting
Attorney McCulloch said the jury of nine whites and three blacks met on
25 separate days and heard more than 70 hours of testimony from about
60 witnesses, including three medical examiners and other experts on
blood, toxicology and firearms.
He
stressed that jurors were 'the only people who heard every witness ...
and every piece of evidence'. He said many witnesses presented
conflicting statements that were inconsistent with the physical
evidence. 'These grand jurors poured their hearts and soul into this
process,' he said.
He
pointed out that many early reports in the incident were found not to
be true by the official investigation, such as the report that officer
Wilson stood over Brown's body and fired the fatal shots into his back.
The autopsy revealed that Wilson shot Brown to death as the young man
walked towards him.
After
months of reviewing the evidence, the 12 men and women on the grand
jury decided not to bring up any of a handful of possible charges
against Wilson, which included first-degree murder, second-degree
murder, voluntary manslaughter, and involuntary manslaughter.
As
McCulloch was reading his statement, Michael Brown's mother, Lesley
McSpadden, was sitting atop a vehicle listening to a broadcast of the
announcement.
She put her face in her hands and sobbed violently. Seconds before she had said: 'This is wrong!
'Everybody want me to be calm but you know how them bullets hit my son.
'Ain't nobody had to live through what I had to live through.
'Why? They (pointing at the police) ain't never gonna care.'
Brown's step-father Louis Head jumped up and down as he erupted in rage and said: 'Burn this b**** down! Burn this b**** down!'
Minutes
earlier as Miss McSpadden listened to the decision being read out she
shouted: 'What was he (Wilson) defending himself from?
'Some of you motherf****** think this is a joke!'
Officially,
the family released a statement saying they were 'disappointed that the
killer of our child will not face the consequence of his actions'.
Earlier in the day, the family asked for 4.5 minutes of silence
following the verdict - no matter what the decision.
When
she heard the decision, she burst into tears and began screaming before
being whisked away by supporters. The crowd with her erupted in anger,
converging on the barricade where police in riot gear were standing.
They pushed down the barricade and began pelting police with objects,
including a bullhorn. Officers stood their ground.
No charges:
A grand jury has decided that police officer Darren Wilson (left) will
not face charges for the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown,
18, (right) in Ferguson, Missouri last August
Outcry: Michael
Brown's mother Lesley McSpadden, seen in a white beanie and sunglasses,
being held by a man in a green baseball shirt, collapsed after hearing
the decision Monday night
Heartbroken: Ms McSpadden publicly
sobbed and yelled 'this is wrong!' after the decision, while Brown's
step-father yelled 'burn this b**** down'
Police rush in to break up protesters
outside the Ferguson Police Station in Ferguson, Missouri, USA, 20
November 2014. People wait for the Grand Jury verdict over the police
slaying of an unarmed black teenager in Ferguson, Missouri
Violence: The Brown family called for
peaceful protests in their official statement, but the crowds quickly
turned violent and police officers in riot gear shot tear gas into the
masses of demonstrators. Above, A protester stands with his hands on his
head as tear gas fills a Ferguson street Monday night
In pain: A protester stands in the
street with what appears to be milk streaming down her face, after being
treated for tear gas exposure Monday night
Stand-off: Witnesses on the ground in
Ferguson say police have been shooting bean bag rounds and stun grenades
into the crowd along with tear gas. Above, police officers confront
protesters following the unpopular decision not to indict Officer Wilson
was announced Monday night
Looting: Protesters wearing gas masks used the chaos on the streets of Ferguson as an opportunity to steal from a local store
Outburst of violence: A mob of angry
protesters are seen surrounding a Saint Louis County Police cruiser,
smashing in the windows
Shots
fired: Michael Brown was shot several times by Officer Darren Wilson
(scene on left) in the St Louis suburb on August 9, sparking months of
protests over the cop killing of an unarmed black teen. Around 8:30pm
CT, county prosecutor Robert McCulloch (right) announced the grand
jury's decision not to charge officer Wilson
Not-so-happy holiday season: Police in
riot gear form a line to control protesters underneath a 'Seasons
Greetings' sign in Ferguson on Monday
Smash: Protesters vandalize a police
car outside the Ferguson Police Department in Ferguson, Missouri, after a
grand jury returned no indictment in the shooting of Michael Brown
Those
directives were not followed by the protesters who immediately stared
throwing rocks and bottles at police officers, damaging cars, starting
fires and looting local businesses. A local CNN affiliate reported that
three businesses were on fire as of 12:30 Tuesday morning inclduing a
storage center and meat market. A Little Caesars pizza shop was also
seen engulfed in flames.
A
few rioters were even seen looting local shops, including a liquor
store and Toys R Us. Others congregated and marched shouting 'Hands up,
don't shoot. No justice, no peace'.
About 400 protesters outside the Ferguson police station became panicked after hearing rapid gunfire down the road.
Protesters
tried to flip a police SUV then ran through parked cars smashing
windows indiscriminately. They smashed the windows of two restaurants
and threw rocks at police in full riot gear.
Others are reportedly trying to break into City Hall.
Officers
in riot gear responded early on by ordering the crowds to disperse,
saying they were blocking the road and gathering illegal.
When the protesters did not comply, police reacted by shooting bean bag rounds, stun grenades and tear gas into the crowds.
Police
announced that the canisters thrown into the crowd were just smoke, and
not tear gas, but CNN reporters appeared to be struggling to breathe
after coming into contact with the exhaust. The police corrected their
statement later, saying they indeed had fired tear gas.
The FAA designated a no-fly zone over Ferguson.
Sparks: Smoke fills a Ferguson, MIssouri street, after the grand jury announcement Monday night
Flee: A couple runs away from the riots as tear gas canisters are launched into the crowds and fill the streets will smoke
Chaos: Police
have tried to break up the violent crowds by using tear gas on Monday
night. The President and U.S. Attorney General have called for restraint
from law enforcement in dealing with protesters
Helping himself: A man steps out of a
vandalized store after the announcement of the grand jury decision
Monday, Nov. 24, 2014, in Ferguson, Missouri
Target: A police officer points a
shotgun directly at protestors during a demonstration on November 24,
2014 in Ferguson, Missouri - actions that the police were explicitly
criticized for when rioting first broke out following August 9 and the
death of Michael Brown
'We
are a nation built on the rule of law , so we need to accept that this
decision was the grand jury's to make,' the president said, adding that
he stands with the Brown family in calling for peaceful protests.
However,
Mr Obama went on to admit that the highly-public investigation showed
there are issues that need to be fixed between police and residents in
predominantly black communities like Ferguson.
'There are still issues, and communities of color are not making these things up...These are real issues,' the president said.
However, he added that a solution would not be found by breaking out in violence.
'That
won't be done by throwing bottles, by smashing car windows or using
this as an excuse to vandalize property, and it certainly won't be done
by hurting anybody,' the president said.
Fever pitch: Protesters and police
officers in riot gear face off on a Ferguson street after the decision
was announced Monday night
Not proud
to be American: Protesters took to defiling the American Flag in
response to the decision, which sees Officer Darren Wilson not charged
for causing Michael Brown's death
Harder to breathe: Protesters run from
a cloud of tear gas Monday night in Ferguson, Missouri, where local
police are trying to control violent crowds
Stolen goods:
Rioters swarmed a liquor store on West Florisant street in Ferguson
Monday night, carrying out bottles of alcohol, in the midst of the
protests
Free stuff: Ferguson Market and Liquor
store is vandalized after the announcement of the grand jury decision
Monday on November. 24, 2014, in Ferguson, Missouri
Brown's
family have said that he was trying to surrender when the officer shot
him while Wilson's supporters said that he was acting in self-defense.
However,
Wilson claimed that Brown was much more aggressive and that he taunted
him, saying: 'You're too much of a f****** p**** to shoot me'. County
prosecutor McCulloch also said that Wilson was indeed trying to
apprehend Brown in connection to a convenience store robbery.
Recounting
how he shot six bullets into his body, Wilson said: 'One of those,
however many of them, hit him in the head, and he went down right
there.'
In
his police interview released as part of the Grand Jury evidence,
Wilson said that he was completely calm at the start of the incident as
he stopped Brown and his friend Dorian Johnson as they walked along the
street in Ferguson, Missouri.
He claims he told them: ‘Hey guys, why don’t you walk on the sidewalk?’ to which they replied they were nearly home.
Wilson
said that he told them: ‘Okay, but what’s wrong with the sidewalk?’ to
which Johnson replied: ‘F*** what you have to say’.
Wilson
drove off and then drove back to speak to them at which point Brown
suddenly punched him and they got into a struggle as he tried to get out
of his police SUV.
Wilson
said he reached for his gun and said: ‘Stop I’m going to shoot’ to
which Brown replied: ‘You’re too much of a f****** p**** too shoot me’.
A new view of Officer Wilson: The
first picture of Officer Wilson, taken immediately after he killed
Michael Brown. The pictures were released with the rest of the evidence
in the case after the decision not to indict was announced Monday night
Injuries:
The pictures taken of Wilson after the fatal shooting show his minor
injuries, including bruising on his cheek and neck
The interview was carried out by an unnamed detective the day after the shooting at the St Louis County Police HQ.
Recounting the moment he killed Brown, Wilson said: 'I was yelling at him to stop and get on the ground.
'He
kept running and then he stopped in this area somewhere. When he
stopped he turned, looked at me, made a grunting noise and had the most
intense aggressive face I’ve ever seen on a person.
'When
he looked at me he then did like the hop...you know when people do to
start running. And he started running at me. During his first stride he
took his right hand and put it under his shirt and into his waistband.
'And I ordered him to stop and get on the ground again. He didn’t. I fired, a, multiple shots.
'After
I fired the multiple shots I paused for a second, yelled at him to get
on the ground again, he was still in the same state.
'Still charging hands, still in his waistband, still hadn’t slowed down.
'I fired another set of shots. Same thing, still running at me, hadn’t slowed down, hands still in his waistband.
'He gets about eight to ten feet away, he’s still coming at me in the same way.
'One of those, however many of them, hit him in the head, and he went down right there.
'When
he went down his hand was still under his, his right hand was still
under his body, looked like it was still in his waistband. I never
touched him.'
At a later part of the interview Wilson went over the final moments again and described Brown as ‘very aggressive’.
He said: ‘I don’t really know how to describe it. Um, he turns, I look at his face. It was just like intense. It was.
‘I’ve never seen anybody look like that, for lack of a better words, crazy. I’ve never seen that.
'It was very aggravated, um, aggressive, hostile. You could tell he was lookin’ through ya. There was nothing he was seeing.’
Pictures were also released with the evidence, showing Wilson's minor injuries in the fight with Brown.
Stay calm: President Obama held a
press conference shortly after the grand jury's decision was announced,
asking protesters to demonstrate peacefully in the streets of Ferguson.
The president's directives were not followed by the demonstrators in
Missouri
Before
the verdict was announced, groups from across the country have said
they would demonstrate in large numbers if charges were not brought -
prompting local police to draw up contingency plans over fears of
violence.
U.S.
Attorney General Eric Holder urged police to show restraint in dealing
with any protests that may follow the decision on whether to indict
Wilson.
There have been reports that a militant group is offering a cash reward for anyone who can give them the location of Wilson.
The
group, describing itself as a 'Militant Resistance to a corrupt police
state', has offered $5,000 for details of the Ferguson police officer's
whereabouts.
According
to Officer Wilson's grand jury testimony which was leaked to the
public, he claimed that Brown and his friend Dorian Johnson were walking
down the middle of the road on August 9 and he thought Brown matched
the description of a young man involved in a recent robbery.
When he tried to stop the boys, Wilson said Brown punched him through the window.
Wilson claimed he then drew his weapon but Brown tried to wrestle the gun from him while continuing to punch him in the face.
During
that struggle for his gun, Wilson said he got off two shots, missing
Brown with the first and hitting the teenager in the hand with the
second bullet.
Preparation: Local businesses braced
for violence in the streets by boarding up their windows early Monday,
before the decision was announced
KEY FIGURES IN THE FERGUSON CASE
MICHAEL BROWN
Michael
Brown graduated from Normandy High School last spring and was preparing
to attend Vatterott College, where he planned to study to become a
heating and air conditioning technician. Friends say he eventually
wanted to go into business for himself.
Relatives
and friends described Brown, who grew up in a tough neighborhood, as a
quiet, gentle giant who stood around 6-foot-3 and weighed nearly 300
pounds. He was unarmed on the day he was killed.
Police
said later that he was a suspect in the 'strong-arm' robbery of a
convenience store moments before the shooting. A family attorney said
Brown may have made mistakes but did not deserve to die.
'He was just looking forward to getting on with his life,' said his grandmother, Desuirea Harris. 'He was on his way.'
DARREN WILSON
Some
descriptions of Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson are similar those
of Brown. Both men have been described as gentle and quiet. Police
Chief Thomas Jackson said Wilson had no previous complaints against him
and a good career record.
'He's
devastated,' the chief said after naming Wilson as the shooter back in
August. 'He never intended for this to happen. He is, and has been, an
excellent police officer.'
Wilson
began his career in nearby Jennings before moving to the Ferguson job
several years ago. He was placed on paid administrative leave after the
shooting.
Wilson married fellow Ferguson police officer Barbara Lynn Spradling in October, CNN reported.
POLICE CHIEF THOMAS JACKSON
Thomas Jackson was a police veteran long before he came to Ferguson.
He
spent more than 30 years with the St. Louis County Police Department,
at one point serving as commander of a drug task force.
Before that he was a SWAT team supervisor, undercover detective and hostage negotiator.
He
heads a department with 53 officers, only three of them black, in a
town where nearly 70 percent of the 21,000 residents are
African-American.
'I'm constantly trying to recruit African-Americans and other minorities,' Jackson has said.
'But it's an uphill battle. The minority makeup of this police department is not where I want it to be.'
Some
of Jackson's actions in the wake of the shooting have drawn criticism,
including his decision to announce that Brown was a suspect in the
convenience-store robbery, a move that stirred anger in Ferguson's black
community.
ST. LOUIS COUNTY PROSECUTOR BOB MCCULLOCH
Since
his election in 1991, Bob McCulloch has been the top prosecutor in St.
Louis County. A Democrat with a reputation for being tough on crime, he
comes from a law-enforcement family. He was 12 years old when his
father, a police officer, was shot and killed by a black suspect in
1964.
Some
critics, including St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley,
questioned whether McCulloch's ability to be objective in the Ferguson
case. They wondered if losing his father in such circumstances creates a
built-in bias. A petition began circulating in August demanding that
McCulloch recuse himself from the investigation of Michael Brown’s death
so that a special prosecutor could be appointed. The petition has so
far garnered over 100,000 signatures.
‘I
have absolutely no intention of walking away from the duties and
responsibilities entrusted to me by the people in this
community.’McCulloch told radio station KTRS after Governor Jay Nixon
suggested it would be appropriate for McCulloch to step aside from the
case.
It
was McCulloch’s decision, back in May, to turn the decision of whether
to arrest and charge Wilson over to a grand jury. He promised to release
all available evidence if the grand jury voted not to indict Wilson.
MISSOURI STATE HIGHWAY PATROL CAPT. RON JOHNSON
During
a 27-year career, Capt. Ron Johnson climbed from patrolman to chief of
the 11-county division of the Missouri State Highway Patrol that
includes St. Louis and its suburbs.
Back
in August, Gov. Jay Nixon appointed Johnson to take command of security
in Ferguson. That decision came after complaints that authorities were
too heavy handed with protesters, when St. Louis County police were in
charge.
Johnson's
calm but commanding presence drew high praise from many observers. When
Johnson, who is black, walked down the streets of Ferguson with
protesters, many demonstrators shook his hand or posed for photos with
him.
He
carried himself with a disarming empathy, reminded locals of his
Ferguson roots and suggested that he, too, had lessons to learn from the
case.
'We
all ought to be thanking the Browns for Michael, because Michael's
going to make it better for our sons, so they can be better black men,'
he said during public remarks in August.
He also apologized to Brown's family.
'I wear this uniform, and I should stand up here and say that I'm sorry,' he said.
MISSOURI GOV. JAY NIXON
Anyone
who doubts Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon's stance against crime need look no
further than the state's long record of executions.
During
his four terms as attorney general and two terms as governor, Missouri
has executed 66 convicted killers, a total few states can match.
Events in Ferguson could have a significant effect on the political future of the 58-year-old Democrat.
He
drew some criticism in the days immediately after the shooting for
keeping a low profile, but he soon moved to the forefront, putting state
police in charge of security and then calling in the National Guard to
help quell the violence.
He
claimed to be unhappy with local police’s decision to release tape of
Brown shoplifting from a convenience store. ‘To attempt to in essence
disparage the character of this victim in the middle of a process is not
right,’ he said on MSNBC’s Meet the Press. He also claimed he was not
made aware of the decision to release the footage ahead of time.
Nixon
has a strained relationship with African American leaders in the city
due to an antagonistic stance towards urban busing, intended to help
integrate Missouri schools. During his successful campaign for attorney
general in 1992, Nixon said busing ‘is a failed social experiment’ and a
waste of tax dollars. Court decisions ended mandatory busing for
schools in St Louis and Kansas City.
ATTORNEY BENJAMIN CRUMP
Benjamin
Crump became a national figure when he represented the family of
Trayvon Martin, the Florida teenager fatally shot by a
neighborhood-watch organizer in 2012.
Now he's back in the spotlight, representing Brown's family in another racially charged death.
Crump,
44, was born in North Carolina, one of nine children. Now based in
Tallahassee, Florida, he rose to prominence with a reputation for
thoughtful prose.
At
times, he seems to fight back his own emotions as he talks about the
loss suffered by Brown's parents. To him, the issue is simple.
'I don't want to sugarcoat it,' Crump said in August. Brown 'was executed in broad daylight.'
ATTORNEY GENERAL ERIC HOLDER
Almost from the outset, Attorney General Eric Holder showed a strong interest in Michael Brown's death.
Two
days after the shooting, Holder said the case deserved a full review
and dispatched a Justice Department team to Ferguson to try to calm
tensions. The department soon launched its own civil-right
investigation.
Holder
ordered a federal medical examiner to perform a third autopsy on Brown
and called the Brown family to express his condolences. He said
aggressively pursuing these types of investigations is 'critical for
preserving trust between law enforcement and the communities they
serve.'
Holder
issued a statement after the grand jury decision that ‘the Justice
Department’s investigation into the shooting of Michael Brown remains
ongoing.’
When
Brown tried to escape, Wilson said in his testimony that he continued
to shoot, firing off a fatal volley of shots when Brown turned and
started rushing towards him.
This account is in contrast with that of several eyewitnesses and Brown's companion, Dorian Johnson.
The friend claimed that the unarmed teen had his hands up, or by his side, and begged the officer 'Stop shooting.'
The
office of St Louis Prosecutor Bob McCulloch had said that they will
unseal all evidence reviewed by the grand jury following their decision
and release it to the public.
On
Friday afternoon, St. Louis-area officials backed by state authorities
announced a 'rules of engagement' agreement between police and roughly
50 protest groups in anticipation of the grand jury decision.
The
agreement spells out how protesters associated with the organizations
will conduct themselves, along with conduct that police agree to abide
by.
Police
agreed that excessive force will not be tolerated, and encouraged
protesters to renounce violence against police and others.
Happy holidays: Police in riot gear
use tear gas to clear the street in front of the Ferguson Police
Department after the announcement of the grand jury decision not to
indict police officer Darren Wilson in the fatal shooting of Michael
Brown
Protected: Smoke fills the streets as
some buildings are on fire after the announcement of the grand jury
decision on Monday, Nov. 24, 2014
Stand-off: Police confront protestors
after rioting broke out following the grand jury announcement in the
Michael Brown case on November 24, 2014 in Ferguson, Missouri
Fury: Protestors stand with their
hands up during a demonstration on November 24, 2014 in Ferguson,
Missouri. A St. Louis County grand jury has decided to not indict
Ferguson police Officer Darren Wilson in the shooting of Michael Brown
Arrested: Police detain a demonstrator
amid tear gas during a demonstration to protest the death of
18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri
On standby: Missouri National Guard
stay on guard outside St. Louis County Courthouse in Clayton before the
grand jury announcement that Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson will
not face criminal charges
Tensions have simmered for months in the St Louis suburb over a case that has become a flashpoint for U.S. race relations.
Police
in riot gear arrested three people in Sunday night protests that led to
scuffles, St. Louis County police said on Monday. Authorities said they
doused one demonstrator with pepper-spray for resisting arrest.
On
Sunday, the teen's father, Michael Brown Sr., made a public service
announcement appealing for calm and non-violence among protesters,
saying that 'hurting others is not the answer'.
Mr Brown said: 'No matter what the grand jury decides, I do not want my son's death to be in vain.
'I want it to lead to incredible change, positive change, change that makes the St Louis region better for everyone.'
However the father made it clear that there is still more work to be done.
He
said: 'Continue to lift your voices with us and lets work together to
heal and to create lasting change for all people regardless of race.'
He also thanked many of the protesters for 'lifting [their] voices to end racial profiling and police intimidation'.
On
Thursday, reports revealed that Officer Wilson had said he felt
'confident' he would not charged by the grand jury and was working with
city officials to negotiate his resignation from the Ferguson Police
Department.
It
emerged on Monday that the 28-year-old officer had gotten married last
month to a fellow Ferguson cop, 37-year-old Officer Barbara Spradling.
Jeff
Roorda, business manager for the St. Louis Police Officers'
Association, said he met with Wilson, who has not been seen since the
shooting.
'It's fair to say that neither he nor his defense team expect an indictment,' Roorda said.
The
nearby Jennings School District said it would close on Monday and
Tuesday due to the possibility of unrest in neighboring Ferguson.
The district was already scheduled to be closed the rest of the week for the Thanksgiving holiday.
The
Ferguson-Florrisant school district announced late on Monday that it
was planning to close schools on Tuesday, along with all after-school
and evening activities.
Enraged: A woman approaches the
barricade to confront the police outside the Ferguson Police Department
after the decision was announced
Looking for leadership: Bonnie Mills,
19, left, a junior at Howard University, is hugged by a friend, who
asked not to be named, as they gather with students from Howard
University and others in front of the White House Monday, November 24,
2014, in Washington, in reaction to the Ferguson grand jury decision not
to indict police officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of Michael
Brown. 'We were sitting in the student lounge waiting for the verdict,'
says Mills, 'and the fact that he won't even go to trial really
affected us.'
HUNDREDS OF CIVIL RIGHTS LAWYERS DESCEND ON FERGUSON AS TENSIONS RISE
Hundreds of civil rights lawyers from across America are descending on Ferguson.
Talks
between protest groups and police have stalled over a refusal by
officials to rule out the use of riot gear, tear gas and militarized
equipment if demonstrations turn violent, protest leaders say.
The
lawyers, some from as far afield as New York and California, have
responded to calls from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and
protest groups in Ferguson to monitor police behavior in the wake of the
grand jury decision.
They
will also take an aggressive legal posture, the attorneys said, filing
quick fire lawsuits to fight potentially shoddy jail conditions, onerous
bail bonds and civil rights abuses.
'We
will be using the sword as well as the shield,' said Justin Hansford, a
St. Louis University law professor who is part of the legal team.
'We
have lawyers from Washington, New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. They
won't just be observing. They will be filing lawsuits.'
Prominent
civil rights lawyer Vince Warren, executive director of the New
York-based Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) has been in Ferguson
since Monday.
Nicole Lee, an international human rights lawyer from Washington, arrived on Wednesday.
Warren
said 280 lawyers and law students had answered emails and have
volunteered to travel to Ferguson. The lawyers are taking instructions
from the CCR, the National Lawyers Guild, the Missouri Chapter of the
ACLU and the NAACP Legal defense Fund.
'We
are in a crisis situation and we are here to ensure police let people
voice their anger and frustration and don't crack down on protesters as
hooligans,' Warren said.
Diane
Balogh, of the Missouri ACLU, said the organization had held a dozen
training sessions with 100 legal observers in recent weeks.
The
ACLU is providing them with a mobile phone app allowing them to upload
video of police behavior to a secure central database. Ferguson police
have been wearing video devices since September.
Protest
leaders have held meetings, and conference calls, with John Belmar, the
St. Louis County Police chief, Captain Ron Johnson of the Missouri
State Highway Patrol, and St. Louis City police chief Sam Dotson since
mid-October, protest leaders and police say.
The
focus of the talks has been on 19 'rules of engagement' proposed by the
Don't Shoot Coalition, an umbrella group of 50 community and protest
groups. The police have agreed to about a dozen of the rules, but have
stayed silent on the use of tear gas and riot gear.
'The
area we are most concerned about is the militarized response, and we
are still waiting to hear on that,' said Denise Lieberman, a lawyer and
co-chair of the Don't Shoot Coalition.
Tory
Russell, a founder of the protest group Hands Up United, said he had
only been asked to one meeting with police officials, in late October,
which he attended.
'All
they wanted to know was where we are going to be after the grand jury
decision,' Russell said. 'They didn't tell us where they were going to
be. It was just a dig for information. We don't trust them at all.'
The St. Louis County Police, city police, and the Missouri Highway Patrol, did not respond to requests for comment.
No comments:
Post a Comment