Killing of Michael Brown

On the afternoon of August 9, 2014, Ferguson, Missouri police officer Darren Wilson shot and killed 18-year-old Michael Brown following a confrontation on Canfield Drive. Brown, who was unarmed, was walking with his friend Dorian Johnson when Wilson, responding to a report of a theft at a nearby convenience store, told the two men to move off the street. A struggle occurred at Wilson's police SUV, during which Wilson's pistol discharged twice inside the vehicle. Brown and Johnson fled; Wilson pursued Brown on foot. Accounts differ as to what happened next: Wilson stated Brown turned and charged at him, while Johnson said Brown turned with his hands raised after being shot in the back. Wilson fired a total of twelve rounds; Brown was struck six times, all in the front of his body, including a fatal shot to the head. Less than 90 seconds passed between the initial encounter and Brown's death.

The shooting prompted sustained protests and unrest in Ferguson, with the slogan "Hands up, don't shoot" becoming associated with claims that Brown had surrendered. Subsequent investigation, including by the FBI, found no credible evidence supporting that claim, and the Department of Justice noted that some witnesses who initially contradicted Wilson's account later retracted their statements. Police response to the protests, including a militarized posture, drew criticism from media and political figures.

A St. Louis County grand jury heard more than 5,000 pages of testimony from 60 witnesses over three months. On November 24, 2014, prosecutor Robert McCulloch announced the grand jury had declined to indict Wilson. McCulloch faced criticism over the unorthodox grand jury process and over questions about his impartiality, though Missouri Governor Jay Nixon declined to remove him from the case.

In March 2015, the U.S. Department of Justice announced the conclusion of its own civil rights investigation, clearing Wilson and stating that credible witnesses and forensic evidence corroborated his account of acting in self-defense. Multiple autopsies, including an independent one commissioned by Brown's family and a federal autopsy ordered by Attorney General Eric Holder, found Brown was shot at least six times, including twice in the head, and that he had not been shot in the back. Forensic evidence, including blood spatter and DNA on Wilson's weapon and clothing, was described as consistent with a struggle at the vehicle and with Brown moving toward Wilson at the time of the fatal shots.

In 2020, newly elected St. Louis County prosecutor Wesley Bell conducted a five-month review of the case to consider manslaughter or murder charges against Wilson. In July 2020, Bell announced he would not bring charges, stating he lacked sufficient evidence to ethically do so. No criminal charges were ever filed against Wilson in connection with Brown's death.