Staff Writer
A grand jury in Ferguson, Missouri decided not to indict Police Officer Darren Wilson this past Tuesday for his shooting of an unarmed 18 year old man named Michael Brown. Protests have broken out in the city, with buildings and cars being set ablaze and tear gas being shot at protestors. The shooting has been a very controversial issue since its occurrence on August 9, 2014. Wilson, who is white, has been accused of racially discriminating against the African-American Brown.
Brown
had previously robbed a convenience store, but there has been debate as to
whether or not Wilson was aware of this when he stopped Brown for
jaywalking. A struggle broke out between
the two men, and Brown was shot six times.
In Wilson’s testimony, he said that Brown had punched him and tried to
take his gun. This contrasts with other
eye witness statements that Brown was surrendering when he was shot and that he
didn’t pose a threat. The incident has
raised questions on race relations and the use of force by police officers.
Prior
to the grand jury’s decision, there had been unrest and demonstrating in
Ferguson and throughout the country by people who believed that Brown had been
surrendering and that the killing was unlawful.
In anticipation of the decision and the potential riots, Missouri
Governor Jay Nixon declared a state of emergency and gun sales around Ferguson
sky rocketed. President Barack Obama,
along with Nixon and Brown’s family, has urged protestors to be nonviolent and
calm.
