Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson Does Post-Grand Jury Press

One of the many problems with Monday’s announcement about the grand jury’s decision not to indict Officer Darren Wilson for fatally shooting Michael Brown in August in Ferguson, Mo., had to do with the timing. The decision had been known for hours when St. Louis County prosecuting attorney Bob McCulloch finally revealed the results, after dark, when anxiety was rising and optimism was waning in the local community.

Of course, the media runs on its own sense of timing, and on Tuesday evening, barely a day later, ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos was first out of the gates with a big get: a sit-down discussion with Wilson for the officer’s first publicly aired interview since the incident. Among other claims, Wilson tells Stephanopoulos that Brown threw the first punch and subsequently attempted to shoot Wilson with the policeman’s gun, and that there was “no way” Brown had his hands up when Wilson shot him down, as witnesses had reported.

As for why Wilson pursued and fired at Brown when the unarmed teenager was running away, he said, “My job isn’t to just sit and wait.” Below is a clip from Wilson’s ABC interview:

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While Wilson now has a public platform, it is up to witnesses, family members and supporters of Michael Brown to speak for him. Brown’s father, Michael Brown Sr., appeared on MSNBC’s “Politics Nation” on Tuesday, telling host Al Sharpton (via NBC News):

“The only person that can really talk for him is me and his mom. At this point, you’re right, he can’t defend himself. He’s buried,” Brown, Sr., said. “They crucified his character … the things that they’re saying, it’s just — it’s terrible.”

Michael Brown Sr. also said that Monday’s decision “opens my eyes to let me know this is a racist state.”

–Posted by Kasia Anderson