Ferguson jury decision: Details of its probe into police shooting of teenager Michael Brown

Protesters set police cars on fire during clashes following the grand jury decision in the death of 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, on Nov 24, 2014. -- PHOTO: AFP
Protesters set police cars on fire during clashes following the grand jury decision in the death of 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, on Nov 24, 2014. -- PHOTO: AFP

FERGUSON (Reuters) - A St Louis County grand jury declined to indict Ferguson, Missouri, police Officer Darren Wilson, who is white, in the shooting death of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown, St Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Bob McCulloch said on Monday.

Details about the grand jury investigation gleaned from prosecutors' news conference on Monday and documents follow.

Grand jury heard from dozens of witnesses

- The grand jury met for 25 days starting on Aug 20 and ending on Monday. All 12 grand jurors were present for every session, heard every word of testimony and examined every piece of evidence.

- Prosecutors had the grand jury review five charges ranging from first-degree murder to involuntary manslaughter and it determined no probable cause to file any charge against Wilson.

- The grand jury heard more than 70 hours of testimony from about 60 witnesses and reviewed hours of recordings of media and law enforcement interviews by many of the witnesses. It also examined hundreds of photographs.

- The witnesses included three medical examiners as well as experts in blood, DNA, toxicology and firearms.

- The three autopsies performed on Brown, by St Louis County, a private pathologist for Brown's family and by the Department of Defence Armed Forces Medical Examiner were consistent in all significant respects.

Evidence inside, outside vehicle

- Wilson was driving a Chevrolet Tahoe SUV when he encountered Brown and a friend of Brown's in the street. Less than 90 seconds passed from Wilson's initial contact, to an assist car arriving seconds after the shooting.

- Wilson and Brown exchanged words and the officer saw that Brown had cigars and was wearing clothes similar to the description of a suspect from a store robbery minutes earlier. An altercation ensued at the driver's side door.

- Wilson fired two shots while seated in the SUV and 10 getting out and pursuing Brown. Audio recovered from a video chat revealed a string of shots, a pause, and a string of shots.

- A bullet was recovered from inside the driver's side door. Wilson's other shot from inside the vehicle was not recovered.

- Brown's blood and or DNA were found on the outside of the SUV's driver's door and outside of left rear passenger door. His blood or DNA also were found on the inside of the driver's door.

- Brown's blood or DNA also was found on the upper left thigh of Wilson's pants leg, the front collar of his shirt and on the officer's weapon. Wilson was medically examined after the shooting and had some redness and swelling to his face.

- A graze wound on Brown's right thumb is believed to be the first wound and was the only one at close range. He was shot six or seven other times with a wound to the top of his head thought to be the last.

- Brown's body was 46.6m from Wilson's SUV.

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