A grand jury chose not to indict Darren Wilson for the shooting of Michael Brown because witnesses said the teen charged at the officer before the fatal shots were fired.
Previously, some witnesses said the 18-year-old was surrendering before his death, but their stories either changed or did not match up with physical evidence or the results of three autopsies, The New York Times reports.
Twelve jurors, including three African Americans, heard testimonies from 60 witnesses during their 25 meetings over the course of three months.
Brown’s reckless aggression was reportedly asserted by numerous African American witnesses in the vicinity of the shooting.
In the end, at least nine jurors could not agree that there was enough evidence to charge Wilson with a crime.
Wilson voluntarily testified in front of the jurors for about four hours.
According to The New York Times, Wilson said that he first met Brown and a friend walking in the street on Aug. 9 and approached them because they were potentially blocking traffic.
But Wilson said he noticed that Brown was carrying a pack of cigars and then remembered that a convenience store had just been robbed in the area.
He said he told Brown to step away from his patrol car, a Chevy Tahoe, but Brown grabbed his door and shut it.
According to Wilson’s testimony, it was at this point Brown tried to enter the vehicle, punching Wilson in the face in the process.
Then, Wilson says, Brown grabbed the officer’s gun and said,
You are too much of a pussy to shoot me.
The two struggled with the weapon until Wilson shot through his door, with one bullet grazing Brown’s hand.
The teen put his hands up, but that gesture only made him appear more threatening, Wilson said.
The officer said he fired two more shots, and Brown started to run away. Wilson left his car to chase Brown, but the teen quickly stopped to turn around.
At that point, Wilson recalls hearing Brown make an aggressive grunting noise before the teen moved toward him.
Wilson fired five shots as Brown charged at him and then another five when he continued to pursue the officer in a “full charge,” according to one witness.
In his testimony, Wilson said,
The face he had on was looking straight through me, like I wasn’t even there, I wasn’t even anything in his way.
The jurors concluded that Wilson had reason to believe he was in danger and was defending himself.
A separate investigation is currently being conducted by the US Department of Justice over the theory that Wilson targeted Brown for his race.
But the Times reports that Wilson will most likely not be federally charged because the requirements for such offenses are so vast.
Witnesses Told Grand Jury Michael Brown Charged At Darren Wilson
Darren Wilson, indict, jury, Mike Brown, Police Tension In America, verdict
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