Fox News’ Shepard Smith slammed Democratic Missouri Governor Jay Nixon for promising a “vigorous prosecution” for the police officer who killed Michael Brown, saying “none of us knows” what happened and that the governor may have already influenced the grand jury.
The anchor expressed disbelief over the governor’s statement against Officer Darren Wilson on Tuesday evening, in which he also committed to “justice for Michael Brown.” (RELATED: Gov. Nixon Calls For ‘Vigorous Prosecution’ Of Darren Wilson).
“It may turn out a jury of his peers may decide that Michael Brown’s family needs justice,” Smith said, “or it may decide that the police officer’s story — that Michael Brown came to his car, reached for his gun, the gun went off, Michael Brown went running, turned around and came charging at this police officer, and the police officer shot him because he was being charged and feared for his life. That’s called justifiable.”
“I don’t have any idea what happened,” he continued. “I wasn’t within 1,000 miles of there. But neither does Governor Nixon. And whether Governor Nixon’s office wants to try to take back, or put the toothpaste back in the tube is one thing. It’s Governor Nixon’s job to do that, isn’t it?”
“A card laid is a card played,” Smith accused, “and the card that Governor Nixon has played is justice for the family of Michael Brown. And you’re telling me that a potential grand juror doesn’t see that and say ‘the governor just took sides?'”
“I’m positive of one thing: none of us knows,” he later asserted. “And that’s what that grand jury is for. It’s not for us, and it’s not for that governor.”