© ustin Sullivan/Getty Images/AFPDemonstrators chant 'hands up, don't shoot' as they protest in front of the Ferguson police department on November 24, 2014 in Ferguson, Missouri.
The grand jury's decision was announced Monday evening by Bob McCulloch, the prosecuting attorney for St. Louis County. He said that "no probable cause exists" to file any charges against Wilson.
Officer Wilson potentially faced charges of first- or second-degree murder, voluntary manslaughter, or involuntary manslaughter. At least nine of the 12 people on the jury needed to agree to bring charges in order to indict Wilson. It's unclear exactly how that vote unfolded.
In the wake of the decision, the Brown family released a statement saying:
"We are profoundly disappointed that the killer of our child will not face the consequence of his actions. 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."
Ahead of the decision, Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon called for calm and restraint from protesters and police.
"While none of us knows what that [decision] will be, our shared hope and expectation is that regardless of the decision people on all sides show tolerance, mutual respect and restraint," he said.
The governor added that the state is doing everything it can to "protect lives, protect property, and protect the freedom of speech." The governor added that police will "continue to maintain open lines of communication" with protesters "to improve interaction"with law enforcement.
© AFP Photo/Michael B. ThomasDemonstrators gather outside the Ferguson Police Department in Ferguson Missouri, on November 24, 2014 to protest the death of 18-year-old unarmed black teenager Michael Brown, who was shot to death by a white police officer.
The grand jury heard testimony from numerous witnesses, some of which reportedly claimed that Brown was trying to surrender to Wilson when he was shot. However, other witnesses - as well as Wilson himself - claim Brown was involved in a physical confrontation with the officer before he was killed. According to reports, Wilson told the grand jury that Brown punched him while he was in his vehicle and also charged at him despite orders to stop.
An independent autopsy report conducted on behalf of the family found that Brown had been shot at least eight times - six times from behind. Jerryl Christmas, one of the Brown family attorneys, said the results indicated there was no struggle.
"The evidence shows that the story we've been given by the Police Department does not match up,"attorney Jerryl Christmas said, as cited by the AP. "There's no evidence that there was a gun battle going on."
Meanwhile, an autopsy conducted by the St. Louis County medical examiner found evidence of residue on Brown's hand that would support the idea that Wilson shot the teenager at close range. Leaked details from the autopsy suggest it also indicated that Brown and Wilson were engaged in a "significant altercation" inside of or near Wilson's car.
Brown's death sparked immediate criticism from residents and those around the country who believed Wilson used excessive force. Protesters took to the streets calling for Wilson to be identified - police at the time refused to declare who killed the teen - and for him to face charges. Demonstrations lasted for weeks, with law enforcement responding strongly by arriving at protests in riot gear, with armored vehicles, and by using tear gas to clear out activists.
This wasn't murder. Darren Wilson fired his gun in self-defense. The jury saw the evidence and made the right choice. The liberal media will never understand. They're just making an issue because the person shot and killed dark in skin tone. They don't complain as much when it's a white person.