Darren Wilson Unlikely to Face Federal Charges in Shooting Death of Michael Brown
Darren Wilson, the Ferguson police officer who fatally shot unarmed teenager Michael Brown last year, will likely not face federal charges, according to a CNN report.
The FBI reportedly concluded an independent investigation into the shooting death of Brown and found no evidence to support bringing criminal charges against Wilson. While a final Justice Department report has not yet been completed, sources say federal prosecutors are unlikely to recommend civil rights charges, according to CNN.
Attorney General Eric Holder is expected to make an official announcement about the decision before he leaves office in the coming months.
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The FBI weighed much of the same evidence used by local police in their investigation and ultimately they could not prove that Wilson intended to violate Brown's civil rights in the shooting.
"The bar is extraordinarily high," said Joey Jackson, a criminal defense attorney and legal analyst for CNN's sister network HLN. "You have to show an intentional deprivation of a civil right."
Brown family attorney Benjamin Crump would not comment on reports of the probe findings.
"The family of Michael Brown Jr. will wait for official word from the Justice Department regarding whether or not any charges will be filed against the police officer who shot and killed him," Crump said in a written statement Wednesday. "The family won't address speculation from anonymous sources."
On Aug. 9, 2014, Wilson, a white police officer, fatally shot Brown, an African-American teenager who had committed a strong-arm theft at a QuikTrip convenience store minutes earlier. The case sparked racial unrest around the nation, and in November a St. Louis grand jury cleared the six-year veteran officer of wrong doing which heightened tension between protesters and police.
Shortly after the jury announcement, the parents of Brown released a heartfelt statement.
"We are profoundly disappointed that the killer of our child will not face the consequence of his actions. While we understand that many others share our pain, we ask that you channel your frustration in ways that will make a positive change. We need to work together to fix the system that allowed this to happen," the statement read. "Join with us in our campaign to ensure that every police officer working the streets in this country wears a body camera. Answering violence with violence is not the appropriate reaction."
Brown's official county autopsy revealed the unarmed teen was shot in the hand at close range and that ultimately he suffered six gunshot entrance wounds. The findings also supported Wilson's claim that Brown grabbed for and had his hand on the officer's gun at one point during a struggle inside the police vehicle.
