Officer Darren Wilson has been cleared by a local grand jury and a Justice Department civil rights investigation in the shooting death of Michael Brown on August 9, 2014. That put an end to the criminal aspect of the case involving Wilson, but the civil case against the city of Ferguson, Missouri, is set to proceed.
Attorneys representing the Brown family sent out a press release Wednesday night announcing the family’s intention to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the city.
The media originally portrayed Brown’s death as an unjustified murder by a white police officer. Brown, who was black, was portrayed in the media as surrendering, shot with his hands up. The false story became a rallying cry, “Hands up, don’t shoot,” for demonstrators. However, the evidence showed it was not true.
Brown had, according to prosecutors and an exhaustive Justice Department investigation, attacked Wilson, attempting to take his gun. After a struggle in the officer’s police cruiser, Brown started to flee, then turned and charged Wilson, who had his gun drawn and fired, killing Brown.
It is unclear how much in damages the Brown family is seeking at this time.
The city of Ferguson was the site of continual demonstrations and several riots in the wake of the grand jury decision.