Prosecutor: No Charges for Officer in Michael Brown's Death

[sheshe2]

St. Louis County’s prosecutor announced 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 people of color.

Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell's decision marked the third time prosecutors investigated and opted not to charge Darren Wilson, the white officer who fatally shot Brown, a Black 18-year-old, on Aug. 9, 2014. A St. Louis County grand jury declined to indict Wilson in November 2014, and the U.S. Department of Justice also declined to charge him in March 2015.

Civil rights leaders and Brown’s parents had hoped that Bell, the

county’s first Black prosecutor who took office in January 2019, would see things differently.

snip

Civil rights leaders and Brown’s parents had hoped that Bell, the county’s first Black prosecutor who took office in January 2019, would see things differently.

But, he said, “our investigation does not exonerate Darren Wilson.”

https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/national-international/prosecutor-no-charges-for-officer-in-michael-browns-death/2314331/

opted not to charge opted not to charge opted not to charge



No Justice No Peace

[guillaumeb]

1. DA Bell said: "our investigation does not exonerate Darren Wilson."

However, he opted not to charge him.

[sheshe2]

2. Yes.

What does that even mean?

[Maraya1969]

3. Maybe he did it to help the Brown family sue the police?

[guillaumeb]

4. Perhaps that the DA did not feel certain about a conviction.

All that is needed is 1 racist on the jury.

[sheshe2]

8. I hear you.

Sigh

[lastlib]

10. That was the rationale that I gleaned from his presser.

That murder/manslaughter could not be proved against a cop (who has a higher presumption of innocence than an ordinary civilian) beyond reasonable doubt. Sounded to me like he was implicitly holding the door open for civil suit against the cop, where a lower standard of proof is required.

[nsd]

5. Bell was elected *because* of the Michael Brown case.

No matter what, he has to hold onto the idea that there was a case to be made. Otherwise, why is he DA?

[guillaumeb]

7. He said he did not feel that he had a good enough case.

It only takes 1 racist juror.

[crickets]

6. Wow. No words.

[Celerity]

9. K & R for visibility