#prayformikebrown

Protests broke out and police launched tear gas into the streets after a grand jury in Ferguson, Mo., decided on Monday not to approve criminal charges against white police officer Darren Wilson in the fatal shooting of unarmed black teen Michael Brown.

Some of the demonstrations were repelled with firm police force, including firing bean bags into crowds and deploying squads of riot officers in armoured vehicles, a number of whom carried assault rifles while others held non-lethal weapons. 

TV footage carried images of burning police cruisers, bricks flying through the air and some looting of shops in Ferguson. Gunshots could be heard going off, but it wasn't immediately clear who was firing at what.

The unrest came despite pleas from Brown's family and U.S. President Barack Obama for demonstrations to remain non-violent.   

The grand jury's decision was announced around 9:30 p.m. ET. St. Louis County prosecutor Bob McCulloch ​said the 12-person panel worked "tirelessly to examine and re-examine" testimony from witnesses and evidence.

"Eyewitness accounts must always be challenged and compared against the physical evidence. Many witnesses to the shooting of Michael Brown made statements inconsistent with other statements they gave, and inconsistent with the physical evidence," McCulloch added. 

"The duty of the grand jury is to separate fact from fiction."

He cited, as an example, that a number of witnesses claimed they saw Wilson stand over Brown and shoot into his back. Some of those witnesses changed their story "once the autopsy findings were released showing Michael Brown had not sustained any wounds to the back of his body," McCulloch said.

McCulloch said all three autopsies conducted on Brown were consistent, as was the scientific evidence, and the conclusion was that there was no probable cause to lay any charges against Wilson.

McCulloch mentioned that speculation in the media and in social media presented various versions of events, including that Brown had his hands in the air and was standing still when Wilson shot him. But, he said, numerous eyewitnesses whose testimony didn't change had never spoken to the media and their evidence has never been made public. 

rown's family released a statement shortly after the decision was announced.

"We are profoundly disappointed that the killer of our child will not face the consequence of his actions," the statement said.

"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."

Hours before the announcement, and before he himself had learned of the decision, Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon appealed for calm in a televised address. 

Our shared hope and expectation is that regardless of the decision, people on all sides show tolerance, mutual respect and restraint," Nixon said.

"Together we are all focused on making sure the necessary resources are on hand to protect lives, protect property and protect free speech."

The appeals were not entirely heeded, though, as small numbers of demonstrators hurled bricks at police cars or tried to light them on fire, while others sought to restrain them and urged calm. 

Around 10:30 p.m. ET, a few streets were filled with the white clouds of tear gas. Police in riot gear and in armoured vehicles swept through the streets and threatened to arrest anyone who remained in the streets. 

Gov. Nixon said local and state police have deployed their "best, most experienced" officers onto the streets in anticipation of possible turbulence, and repeated his controversial announcement from last week that National Guard personnel will be providing security at facilities like firehouses and electrical substations.

The grand jury's decision could touch off demonstrations similar to those seen after Wilson shot Brown dead on Aug. 9 during an attempt to arrest him. Those protests saw riot police deploy tear gas on demonstrators in footage seen around the United States.

"The world will be watching us," St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay said Monday evening before the announcement.

"They are going to watch how we handle our disagreements in the coming days and how we make needed change in the coming months and years. St. Louis finds itself with an opportunity to show the nation the ways in which a community can be more fair, and more just for everyone. We must seize this opportunity together."

"the conclusion was that there was no probable cause to lay any charges against Wilson." What The Actual Fuck. 

1. Be a white police officer. 

2. Only murder black males.