Darren Wilson was not indicted by the grand jury and he will not be charged by the Department of Justice either. An 86-page memorandum has been made public that states that Wilson acted in self-defense and did not violate any rights of the unarmed teen Michael Brown, according to USA Today.
Attorney General Eric Holder said he stands behind the DOJ’s decision.
“I concur with the investigative team’s judgment and the determination about our inability to meet the required federal standard of proof,” Holder said.
According to the investigators, several witnesses said that Brown approached Wilson in a threatening manner and that he shot in self defense and continued shooting until Brown fell to the ground.
“There is no evidence upon which prosecutors can rely to disprove Wilson’s stated subjective belief that he feared for his safety,” the report states.
The report also concludes that though some witness said that Brown lifted his hands in a sign of surrender, those accounts were not consistent with physical and forensic evidence.
Lesley McSpadden and Mike Brown, Sr. released a statement with their disheartened feelings about the decision.
“Today, we received disappointing news from the Department of Justice that the killer of our son wouldn’t be held accountable for his actions,” Brown’s parents said in a written statement. “While we are saddened by this decision, we are encouraged that the DOJ will hold the Ferguson Police Department accountable for the pattern of racial bias and profiling they found in their handling of interactions with people of color. It is our hope that through this action, true change will come not only in Ferguson but around the country. If that change happens, our son’s death will not have been in vain.”
Read the DOJ’s report below.
DOJ Report on Shooting of Michael Brown