In a decision that ignited protests throughout the nation, yesterday the grand jury in St. Louis County, Missouri, refused to indict Darren Wilson, the Ferguson police officer who shot and killed unarmed teen Michael Brown. The Chicago Urban League issued the following statement in response to the injustice in Ferguson, Missouri.
“Today’s grand jury decision to not file charges against Ferguson, Missouri, police officer Darren Wilson in the Aug. 9 shooting death of Michael Brown is extremely disappointing. It is disappointing because the external evidence from witnesses on the scene that fateful day indicate that Michael Brown was unarmed and moving away from the officer with his hands up. Equally disappointing is the length of the grand jury investigation which undercuts the credibility of its determination. It is disheartening that, after three months of convening, the grand jury found no reason to charge Darren Wilson with the murder of Michael Brown. As a result, Wilson will not be held accountable for the shooting death of an unarmed teenager.
“That said, all of us who value life and seek justice have an obligation to honor Michael Brown’s memory with peaceful protests and recognize that anything else would undercut his memory in a way even harsher than today’s unjust decision. We must continue to fight for better treatment from and interactions with the police and the African American community.
“We have lost too many African American men in police killings under questionable circumstances and we must build a better platform for our interactions with the police. We must not allow this injustice towards the life of Michael Brown to stand without strategic and impactful community action.” -Andrea L. Zopp, President and CEO Chicago Urban League
For more information on the Chicago Urban League, visit www.thechicagourbanleague.org.
