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Brown family 'strenuously objected' to process

An attorney for Michael Brown's family has blasted the county prosecutor who oversaw the grand ju...
Newstalk
Newstalk

19.48 25 Nov 2014


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Brown family 'strenuou...

Brown family 'strenuously objected' to process

Newstalk
Newstalk

19.48 25 Nov 2014


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An attorney for Michael Brown's family has blasted the county prosecutor who oversaw the grand jury process in Ferguson.

Benjamin Crump told reporters on Tuesday the teenager's family "strenuously objected" to prosecutor Bob McCulloch being allowed to handle the case.

"We object publicly and as loudly as we can on behalf of Michael Brown Jr's family that this process is broken," Mr Crump said.

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He also said the grand jury process was "unfair" and questioned why police officer Darren Wilson was not cross-examined while providing testimony.

"The prosecutor is supposed to prosecute, not be the defence attorney," Mr Crump said.

Civil rights activist Reverend Al Sharpton also criticised Mr McCulloch, saying the Brown family was "not surprised" by the outcome.

"We may have lost one round, but the fight is not over," Rev Sharpton said. He called on the federal government to continue investigating the case.

Meanwhile, smoke billowed from charred buildings after a night of rioting in Ferguson over the grand jury's decision not to indict Ofc Wilson for shooting dead Mr Brown last August.

The Missouri town woke up to the damage caused overnight, estimated in the millions of dollars, as firefighters doused the blackened remains of a dozen buildings that were set ablaze.

Monday night's protests were more destructive than any of the others in the immediate aftermath of the shooting, and they represented some of the worst racially charged riots in years.

Authorities reported hundreds of gunshots and looting as windows of police cars and stores were smashed and a group mobbed a police car.

As protesters hurled objects at officers, police fired tear gas and flash bang canisters at them.

More than 80 people were arrested, officials said, though no serious injuries were reported.

Protests also were staged in New York, Chicago, Seattle, Los Angeles, Oakland, California, and Washington, DC, over the case, which has highlighted long-standing racial tensions across America.

Schools in Ferguson and surrounding areas said they planned not to open on Tuesday and city offices in Ferguson were also closed.

Protesters planned to demonstrate outside the courthouse in Clayton, Missouri, where the grand jury sat, as well as in the streets of Ferguson.

Officials vowed to deploy a stronger police presence in Ferguson.

But Jon Belmar, chief of the St Louis County police, said that unless his agency could bring in 10,000 officers, "I don't think we can prevent folks who really are intent on destroying a community."

The grand jury's decision means that Ofc Wilson will not face any state criminal charges for killing Mr Brown.

Violence flared up moments after the decision was announced, and the situation quickly got worse.

Mr Brown's mother, Lesley McSpadden, sat atop a vehicle listening to a broadcast of the announcement. When she heard the decision, she burst into tears and began screaming before being whisked away by supporters.

Video captured Mr Brown's stepfather, Louis Head, embracing Ms McSpadden before turning to fellow protestors and repeatedly yelling: "Burn this b**** down!"

On Tuesday, Mr Crump said Mr Head's outburst was based on "raw emotion" and was "not appropriate at all".

Mr McCulloch said the jury of nine white people and three black people heard more than 70 hours of testimony from about 60 witnesses, including three medical examiners and experts on blood, toxicology and firearms.

After three months, the panel concluded that Ofc Wilson, who testified that he feared for his life, had acted in self-defence.

Witnesses disagreed on whether Mr Brown's hands were up at the time he was shot, Mr McCulloch said, adding that Officer Wilson shot at the teen 12 times.

Lawyers for Mr Brown's family say he was trying to surrender when he was shot.

President Barack Obama appealed for calm and understanding, pleading with both protesters and police to show restraint.

"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," Mr Obama said.


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