[ti:New Violence Hits Ferguson, Missouri]
[ar:Kelly Jean Kelly]
[al:In the News]
[by:www.21voa.com]
[00:00.00]An American grand jury ruling has resulted in new violence 
[00:04.44]in the city of Ferguson, Missouri. 
[00:06.88]The jurors decided not to charge a white police officer 
[00:12.16]who shot and killed an unarmed African American teenager last August. 
[00:18.73]The decision was announced late Monday -- 
[00:21.91]more than three months 
[00:23.91]after the shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown. 
[00:27.60]His death led to weeks of angry demonstrations and riots in Ferguson.
[00:34.33]The grand jury had 12 members -- all private citizens. 
[00:40.35]Their job was to decide 
[00:42.98]whether criminal charges should be brought 
[00:45.82]against police officer Darren Wilson. 
[00:48.36]The grand jury decided 
[00:50.50]there was not probable cause to charge him 
[00:54.58]in the death of Michael Brown.
[00:56.37]Bob McCulloch is a lawyer for the Saint Louis County government.
[01:01.61]"They determined that no probable cause exists 
[01:05.50]to file any charge against officer Wilson 
[01:07.79]and returned a no true bill on each of the five indictments."
[01:11.72]Mr. McCulloch said the police officer claimed 
[01:16.01]he was hit by Michael Brown, and that they struggled. 
[01:19.59]He said witnesses told the grand jury 
[01:23.14]that the teenager took aggressive action against the officer.
[01:27.76]"He (Michael Brown) came at him at a full charge, 
[01:30.85]and that as Officer Wilson fired shots at him, 
[01:35.13]Mr. Brown stopped and Officer Wilson stopped shooting. 
[01:39.16]And as Mr. Brown started charging at him again, 
[01:42.34]those were his words, his testimony,
[01:44.53] Mr. Wilson started shooting again."
[01:46.72]After the grand jury decision was announced, 
[01:50.21]President Barack Obama spoke at the White House. 
[01:53.99]He called for calm and appealed to police 
[01:57.58]to show care and restraint in controlling peaceful protest.
[02:02.31]"I join Michael's parents in asking that anyone 
[02:07.45]who protests this decision do so peacefully."
[02:10.48]But the reaction was anything but peaceful back in Missouri. 
[02:14.96]A crowd gathered near the headquarters 
[02:18.05]of the Ferguson Police Department. 
[02:19.84]Police officers used smoke and tear gas 
[02:23.22]to break up the demonstration. 
[02:25.16]Some protesters reacted by setting fire 
[02:28.85]to police cars and throwing objects at officers.
[02:32.34]Saint Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar 
[02:36.83]said the protesters set fire to more than 10 buildings, 
[02:40.86]and that most were destroyed.
[02:42.95]"Those are businesses that may never come back. 
[02:45.74]So, frankly, I'm heartbroken about that. 
[02:47.93]Now the good news is, we have not fired a shot. 
[02:51.67]As far as I know, 
[02:53.06]we don't have any serious injuries to police officers. 
[02:57.96]They (got) banged up a little bit with rocks. 
[02:59.65]One lieutenant from the patrol 
[03:02.19]got hit in the head with a glass bottle. 
[03:03.63]But we don't have any serious injuries, 
[03:05.52]and as far as I know, 
[03:06.67]we haven't caused any serious injuries tonight."
[03:08.61]The police chief said officers arrested 
[03:12.39]nearly 30 people during the unrest.
[03:14.73]U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder 
[03:18.32]said the federal government continues to investigate the shooting. 
[03:22.70]He said federal investigations are exploring 
[03:27.29]whether the Ferguson Police Department 
[03:29.38]is involved in unconstitutional activities.
[03:32.82]Mr. Holder called the death of Michael Brown a "tragedy." 
[03:37.25]In his words, "far more must be done to create 
[03:41.88]enduring trust" between law enforcement 
[03:45.23]and the communities they serve.
[03:47.28]I'm Kelly Jean Kelly.