Wilson ‘followed the law,’ say his attorneys

Police officer Darren Wilson “followed his training and followed the law” in the shooting death of Michael Brown, his attorneys said Monday night after a grand jury decided not to indict him in the teen’s death.

Wilson’s attorneys said in a statement to the St. Louis Post Dispatch that law enforcement officers “frequently make split-second and difficult decisions” in the line of duty.

{mosads}“Officer Wilson followed his training and followed the law. We recognize that many people will want to second-guess the grand jury’s decision. We would encourage anyone who wants to express an opinion do so in a respectful and peaceful manner,” the attorneys said.

St. Louis County Prosecutor Robert McCulloch on Monday night said there was “no question” that Wilson had killed Brown in Ferguson, but that the grand jury found there was not probable cause to indict him.

The attorneys for Wilson defended the process, saying the prosecutors “rightfully presented evidence to this St. Louis County grand jury.”

“This group of citizens, drawn at random from the community, listened to witnesses and heard all the evidence in the case. Based on the evidence and witness testimony, the grand jury collectively determined there was no basis for criminal charges against Officer Wilson,” they said.

In the statement, which was released as the streets of Ferguson erupted in chaotic protests, the attorneys said Wilson would “like to thank those who have stood by his side throughout the process,” noting the support is “greatly appreciated by Officer Wilson and his family.”

Neil Bruntrager, one of Wilson’s attorneys, told the Post Dispatch that the days leading up to the grand jury’s decision had been “tense” for the officer.

“For him, none of this ends,” Bruntrager said. “People have made threats against his life, he will continue to be concerned about his family’s security and his own.”

Wilson is still a member of the Ferguson department, and has yet to speak publicly about the shooting of Brown.

Brown’s family in a statement said they are “profoundly disappointed” in the grand jury’s decision but pleaded for people in Ferguson to refrain from violence.

“Answering violence with violence is not the appropriate reaction,” the family said. “Let’s not just make noise, let’s make a difference.”