Chaos & Arson, As Rioters In Ferguson Destroy Cars & Buildings In Aftermath Of Grand Jury Decision

Ferguson, Missouri descended into lawlessness, chaos and fire overnight as violent looters ran riot after a grand jury decided not to indict police Officer Darren Wilson over the fatal shooting of unarmed teenager Michael Brown. Violence flared after the decision was announced by St Louis County Prosecutor Robert McCulloch at around 8:25pm on Monday evening, and continued throughout the evening and into early Tuesday morning.

Angry crowds took to the streets around the Ferguson Police headquarters after the grand jury determined there was no probable cause to charge Wilson with any crime for the shooting of 18-year-old Brown this past summer.

The Federal Aviation Administration issued temporary flight restrictions for the city. After three months of waiting for the controversial verdict, Brown's mother, Lesley McSpadden, collapsed in grief as it was announced, screaming 'This is wrong!'. The victim's stepfather screamed 'Burn this b**** down'. Meanwhile, Wilson's attorneys issued a statement in which he thanked 'those who have stood by his side throughout the process'.

Within minutes of the announcement by the county's top prosecutor, crowds began pouring into Ferguson streets to protest the decision. Some taunted police, shattered windows and vandalized cars. Several gunshots were also heard. Officers released tear gas and pepper spray to disperse the gatherings.

St Louis police reported heavy gunfire late on Monday in the area near where Brown was shot and killed on August 9 and more than a dozen local businesses were razed to the ground by arsonists. So far there have been 29 arrests, 13 injuries – and no fatalities, with police saying they have not fired any shots.  

STATEMENT FROM MICHAEL BROWN'S FAMILY:

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.