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Michael Brown’s family ‘disappointed’ in decision

by Justin Sink - 11/24/14 10:03 PM ET

The family of slain Ferguson, Mo., teenager Michael Brown on Monday night said it was “profoundly disappointed” that a grand jury chose not to indict police officer Darren Wilson.

But the family called on demonstrators to keep their protests peaceful and work toward a campaign to mandate that police officers across the nation wear body cameras.

“While we understand that many others share our pain, we ask that you channel your frustration in ways that will make a positive change,” the Brown family said in a statement. “We need to work together to fix the system that allowed this to happen.”

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

St. Louis County prosecutor Robert McCulloch announced Monday night that a 12-person grand jury had not found probable cause on five separate possible charges against Wilson in the shooting death of Brown.

McCulloch said the grand jury’s job was to “separate fact from fiction,” and stressed that the deliberations included every available piece of evidence and testimony.

The White House has repeatedly cited Brown’s family while urging calm ahead of the grand jury decision.

“I think the president is pretty mindful of the advice from Mr. Brown’s parents, who urged people to pay tribute to their son’s memory by expressing their views peacefully,” press secretary Josh Earnest said earlier this month. “The president is mindful of that and hopes other people will be, too.”

The White House has also endorsed the call for law enforcement to wear body mounted cameras.

“We support the use of cameras and video technology by law enforcement officers, and the Department of Justice continues to research best practices for implementation,” Roy Austin, a White House adviser on Justice and Urban Affairs issues, said in a blog post.

But the White House aide cautioned “that cameras alone will not solve the problem where there is mistrust between police and communities.”

“As a nation, we must continue to address this lack of trust,” Austin said. “Most Americans are law abiding and most law enforcement officers work hard day in and day out to protect and serve their communities. When there is trust between community and law enforcement agency, crimes are more easily solved. And when community members and officers know that they will be treated with fairness and respect, public safety is enhanced.”

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