A grand jury has decided not to indict Darren Wilson, the Ferguson police officer who shot and killed Michael Brown back on August 9.
Earlier today, CNN reported on what would happen to Wilson should the jury not move forward with indictment charges:
If the grand jury clears him of wrongdoing and Wilson wants to remain on the job, he could put up a fight. The police union would back him, said Paul Callan, a CNN legal analyst and former New York prosecutor.
"In the end, he has certain due process rights under Missouri law, and they can't just summarily fire him because he's unpopular," Callan said. "They will have to prove that he violated some aspect of his employment contract as a police officer, or civil service regulations. Otherwise, he will have a very good lawsuit."
Still, most people believe Wilson will never again wear a badge.
"If I'm the mayor of Ferguson, believe me, you would want that cop out because you know that he will be controversial," Callan said. "He will be distrusted by the citizenry and maybe subjected to abuse when he's out on the street. It's just going to be nothing but trouble. They're going to find a way to get him out. They may try to buy him out."
Watch live feed of MSNBC's coverage of the news, AFTER THE JUMP…
UPDATE I: Lambda Legal reacts –
"While there will be debate and disagreement about the facts that led to the grand jury decision announced today in the fatal shooting of Michael Brown by Police Officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, MO, there is no debate about the facts that a terrible tragedy took place and that another unarmed young black man lost his life at the hands of a police officer. Around the country, we continue to witness similar tragedies and loss of life that have resulted from the deadly combination of racism, police profiling, excessive use of lethal force and a general disregard for the lives of black and brown people.
"We mourn Michael Brown and every victim of police violence by continuing to work for justice — for better policing and fairer laws. As an organization fighting for the rights of LGBT people and people living with HIV, we know that bias and prejudice can lead to injustice. We believe that these issues must be addressed in a systemic way and that regardless of one decision, all of us must be active participants in holding law enforcement agencies accountable for ending the unchecked assault on the lives of all of our communities that are marginalized and criminalized — whether on the basis of race, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression or economic status.
Update II: NCLR reacts –
“We vacillate between heartbreak and outrage at the decision from the grand jury. Injustice is too tame a word for what today’s decision represents. The fact that an unarmed black youth can be fatally shot by a police officer with no accountability or consequence is a chilling commentary on the worth afforded to young, black lives and the sorry state of racial justice in this country,” said Kate Kendell, Executive Director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights.
“We stand with our colleagues in the broader civil rights community in condemning the grand jury decision, and send our strength and support to the family and friends of Michael Brown and the entire Ferguson community as they continue to grieve their tragic loss. We also urge the Department of Justice to take action to address the longstanding history of racialized intimidation and discrimination by the Ferguson police,” Kendell concluded.
Update III: HRC reacts -
"Michael Brown's family and the American people deserve to have this case fully adjudicated in a public trial. Today's deeply disappointing decision by the grand jury denies them that opportunity. Until we as a nation make a meaningful commitment to ending police profiling–and to fully prosecuting individual cases of brutality–the kind of violence that ended Michael Brown's life will only continue. As advocates for equality, it's our job to show solidarity with a growing national movement to break this cycle of police violence."
"While we cannot begin to imagine the pain that the Brown family is facing at this moment, we send our thoughts, prayers and condolences to them during this heartbreaking and difficult time. We also stand in solidarity with the family's encouragement of peaceful protests and reflection following this decision."
