Smoke billowed from burned-out buildings and sidewalks were strewn with broken glass in Ferguson, Missouri, following a grand jury's decision not to indict a white police officer in the killing of an unarmed black 18-year-old in one of America's most racially charged cases in recent years. Some Ferguson stores that weren't burned had smashed display windows, but the streets of the St. Louis suburb were mostly clear. The grand jury's decision means that Officer Darren Wilson will not face any state criminal charges for killing Michael Brown, whose death inflamed deep racial tensions between many black Americans and police. Wilson's lawyers issued a statement praising the decision and saying the officer, who has remained out of the public eye since the shooting, is grateful to his supporters. "Law enforcement personnel must frequently make split-second and difficult decisions," the lawyers wrote. "Officer Wilson followed his training and followed the law." Monday night's destruction appeared to be much worse than protests after August's shootings, with more than a dozen businesses badly damaged or destroyed. Authorities reported hearing hundreds of gunshots, which for a time prevented fire crews from fighting the flames. There were 61 arrests in Ferguson overnight, many for burglary and trespassing, St. Louis County Police spokesman Brian Schellman said. There were 21 arrests in St. Louis, where protesters broke some store windows along South Grand Avenue, St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay said. Gov. Jay Nixon issued a statement saying he was calling in more National Guard troops to assist law enforcement in Ferguson, but he didn't say how many additional troops or how long they would remain. At least 14 people were injured during the overnight protests, including two people who were admitted to Barnes-Jewish Hospital for treatment of undisclosed injuries. That hospital treated and released five people and Saint Louis University Hospital treated and released another. Several other hospitals didn't immediately respond to phone messages and emails seeking comment. Meanwhile, many Ferguson-area districts cancelled classes out of concern about the safety of getting children to and from school. The violence erupted despite pleas for calm from President Barack Obama and the Brown family. Prosecuting Attorney Bob McCulloch said witnesses had given the grand jury inconsistent accounts of the shooting, including whether Brown's hands were raised and whether he was stumbling or charging toward the Wilson. Authorities later released Wilson's own account of the shooting, in which he said Brown had punched him in the face and tried to grab his gun. Speaking to reporters for nearly 45 minutes, McCulloch never mentioned that Brown was unarmed when he was killed. Brown's family released a statement saying they were "profoundly disappointed" but asked that the public "channel your frustration in ways that will make a positive change." Shortly after the announcement, authorities released more than 1,000 pages of grand jury documents, including Wilson's testimony. Wilson told jurors that he initially encountered Brown and a friend walking in a street and, when he told them to move to a sidewalk, Brown responded with an expletive. Wilson then noticed that Brown had a handful of cigars, "and that's when it clicked for me," he said, referring to a radio report minutes earlier of a robbery at a nearby convenience store. Wilson said he asked a dispatcher to send additional police, and then backed his vehicle up in front of Brown and his friend. As he tried to open the door, Wilson said Brown slammed it back shut. The officer said he pushed Brown with the door and Brown hit him in the face. Wilson told grand jurors he was thinking: "What do I do not to get beaten inside my car." "I drew my gun," Wilson told the grand jury. "I said, 'Get back or I'm going to shoot you.' "He immediately grabs my gun and says, 'You are too much of a pussy to shoot me,'" Wilson told grand jurors. He said Brown grabbed the gun with his right hand, twisted it and "digs it into my hip." Asked why he felt the need to pull his gun, Wilson told grand jurors he was concerned another punch to his face could "knock me out or worse." After shots were fired in the vehicle, Brown fled and Wilson gave chase. At some point, Brown turned around to face the officer. Witness accounts were conflicted about whether Brown walked, stumbled or charged back toward Wilson before he was fatally wounded, McCulloch said. There were also differing accounts of how or whether Brown's hands were raised. His body fell about 153 feet (47 meters) from Wilson's vehicle. Thousands of people rallied — mostly peacefully — in other U.S. cities on Monday night while the president appealed for calm. The Justice Department is conducting a separate investigation into possible civil rights violations that could result in federal charges, but investigators would need to satisfy a rigorous standard of proof in order to mount a prosecution. The department also has launched a broad probe into the Ferguson Police Department, looking for patterns of discrimination. Brown's family could also file a wrongful-death lawsuit against Wilson. The Aug. 9 shooting heightened tensions in the predominantly black suburb that is patrolled by an overwhelmingly white police force. As Brown's body lay for hours in the center of a residential street, an angry crowd of onlookers gathered. Rioting and looting occurred the following night, and police responded with armored vehicles and tear gas. http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/116437.aspx
