Amid fear of a repeat of widespread and often violent protests, a St. Louis County grand jury has decided not to indict Ferguson, Missouri, police Officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of black teen Michael Brown Jr., the prosecutor’s office announced Monday evening.

Wilson, 28, shot and killed Brown on a Ferguson street Aug. 9 after a confrontation as the 18-year-old and a friend returned from a convenience store. Surveillance video released that day appeared to show Brown strong-arming a clerk at the store and stealing a box of cigars.

Some witnesses told media the 6’4″ and nearly 300-pound Brown, who was unarmed, had his hands raised in an attempt to surrender when he was killed. The growing narrative of an unarmed black teen shot to death by a white cop prompted rioting and looting in the Ferguson area. But subsequent leaks of grand jury evidence indicated Brown attacked and injured Wilson, and the officer feared for his life.

When St. Louis County prosecutor Robert McCulloch announced the decision, he said, “The duty of the grand jury is to separate fact from fiction.” Later in his announcement, he revealed, “They determined that no probable cause exists to indict Darren Wilson.” He emphasized that the grand jurors are “the only people who have heard and examined every witness and every piece of evidence.”

“The physical and scientific evidence examined by the grand jury, combined with the witness statements, supported and substantiated by that physical evidence, tells the accurate and tragic story of what happened,” he said.

Brown’s parents issued the following statement:

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.

Join with us in our campaign to ensure that every police officer working the streets in this country wears a body camera.

We respectfully ask that you please keep your protests peaceful. Answering violence with violence is not the appropriate reaction.

Let’s not just make noise, let’s make a difference.

A statement released by Wilson’s attorneys asked for calm: “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. Officer Wilson would like to thank those who have stood by his side throughout the process. This continued support is greatly appreciated by Officer Wilson and his family.”

Meanwhile, protesters who believed Wilson needed to be brought to trial protested in New York City, running through the streets and shouting, “Hands up! Don’t shoot!”

Schools already had been canceled classes this week leading up to the Thanksgiving holiday.

Police officers and leaders of some 50 protest groups planning public protests already had agreed on “rules of engagement” after some protesters took to public areas shouting: “What do we want? Darren Wilson! How do we want him? Dead!”

See the video (warning, contains foul language):

Meanwhile, family members of Ferguson police officers have moved into hiding or left town.

The wife of one police officer told KTVI-TV she had received threats.

It also had been speculated that Wilson was in discussions to leave his post with the department, even though he maintains he did nothing wrong.

One group, calling itself the “Militant Resistance,” first offered $5,000 for details of Wilson’s whereabouts, because the officer had been in hiding ever since the shooting.

Gateway Pundit reported some black protesters flashed weapons in a video and threatened to kill “mother-f—ers” if the grand jury chose not to convict Wilson.

“Ni–as aint out here playin’ no more,” they said in a video. “We gonna bring it to your front door.”

Gateway Pundit said, “Tonight, media sources just notified The Gateway Pundit that the ‘Tactical Sh-t’ gang members were spotted in Ferguson.”

And citizens making their own defense plans sparked a surge in gun purchases. According to one report, Dan McMullen runs Solo Insurance, close to where the looting happened in August.

“I bring an extra gun now only because it has a bigger magazine,” McMullen said.

After reports leaked that the evidence supported Wilson’s version of the confrontation, New York Magazine said it “doesn’t look good for those hoping for criminal charges.”

But the shooting remained a focal point for Democrats trying raise turnout for the 2014 midterm elections.

“The people we elect on November 4th will be in charge of our police departments,” said one flier. “If we want to end senseless killings, like Michael Brown in Ferguson, we need to vote.”

The official autopsy showed Brown had marijuana in his system, was initially shot at close range and did not appear to have been killed while running away.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported the grand jury had been told that Brown reached inside Wilson’s police car and struggled for the officer’s gun. That resulted in Wilson firing twice, hitting Brown once in the hand. Moments later, Wilson fired the fatal shots outside the vehicle.

The leaked information said the FBI found blood from the teen on an inside panel of the car and on the officer’s gun. The report said Wilson claimed he was pinned in his vehicle and in fear for his life during the struggle.

Some witnesses stated Brown was shot while raising his hands to surrender, but the autopsy indicated his hands were at his side.

On Aug. 21, WND reported a noticeable drop in protest activity came after a media decision to pull out of Ferguson as word circulated that Brown had injured Wilson in a struggle to get the officer’s pistol.

On Aug. 22, WND reported public officials were milling about protesters, bracing the community for the possibility that Wilson would not be charged with murder.

A St. Louis County Police Department officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told WND that department reports confirmed Wilson was injured in a struggle with Brown before the shooting.

“For Michael Brown to fight the police officer and try to take his gun away and then to say, ‘Don’t shoot me,’ that’s resisting arrest, and it’s a felony,” he said. “All you have to do is touch the officer’s gun and you’ve committed a felony.”

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