Brown Family Decries Grand Jury Process

FERGUSON, Mo. (AP) -- Attorneys for Michael Brown's family vowed Tuesday to push for federal charges against the Ferguson police officer who killed the unarmed 18-year-old, and they renewed calls for peace following a night of violent protests in which several businesses burned to the ground.

The attorneys said the grand jury process was rigged from the start to clear the white officer, Darren Wilson, in the Aug. 9 shooting death of Brown, who was black. They criticized everything from the evidence St. Louis County Prosecutor Bob McCulloch presented to the jury to the way it was presented, as well as the timing of announcement of the grand jury's decision.

They said they still hope a federal civil rights investigation will result in charges against Wilson.

"We said from the very beginning that the decision of this grand jury was going to be the direct reflection of the presentation of the evidence by the prosecutor's office," said attorney Anthony Gray, who suggested McCulloch presented some testimony, including from witnesses who did not see the shooting, to discredit the process.

Meanwhile, Gov. Jay Nixon ordered hundreds more National Guardsmen into Ferguson to help local law enforcement keep order in the St. Louis suburb. Twelve commercial buildings in Ferguson burned down during protests that erupted after the grand jury's decision was announced Monday night, and firefighters responded to blazes at eight others, Assistant Fire Chief Steve Fair said. Other businesses were looted, and 12 vehicles were torched.

There were 61 arrests in Ferguson overnight, many for burglary and trespassing, and 21 in St. Louis, where protesters broke some store windows along South Grand Avenue.

At least 18 people were injured and sought treatment at area hospitals, including someone who was shot and was recovering Tuesday at SSM DePaul Health Center. The hospital didn't give any details about the shooting.

Brown's parents made public calls for peace in the run-up to Monday's announcement, and on Tuesday, their representatives again stressed that those setting fires and engaging in violence were not on Michael Brown's side.

Several daytime protests took place Tuesday. In Clayton, where the grand jury met, clergy members and others blocked morning traffic for several hours. In downtown St. Louis, where demonstrators swarmed the steps of a federal courthouse and stopped traffic, at least four people were arrested.

Many area districts canceled classes out of concern for the safety of students traveling to and from school.

The grand jury's decision means Wilson will not face any state criminal charges for killing Brown, whose death inflamed deep racial tensions between many black Americans and police.

Attorneys for Brown's family said they hope an ongoing federal civil rights investigation will lead to charges. For that to happen, though, investigators would need to satisfy a rigorous standard of proof in order to mount a prosecution. The department also has launched a broad probe into the Ferguson Police Department, looking for patterns of discrimination.

Regardless of the outcome of those investigations, Brown's family also could file a wrongful-death lawsuit against Wilson.