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The grand jury investigating the police shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., has decided not to indict Officer Darren Wilson.

Wilson, 28, fired six shots in August, killing Brown, 18.

St. Louis County prosecutor Robert McCulloch seemed a touch defensive as he made the announcement, saying, “The duty of the grand jury is to separate fact from fiction.”

Brown’s family said in a statement, “We are profoundly disappointed that the killer of our child will not face the consequence of his actions.”

The shooting of Brown, an unarmed African-American, by a white police officer prompted major demonstrations, a federal investigation, appearances by both the president and the U.S. attorney general, and national outrage.

Truthdig legal analyst Bill Blum foresaw this outcome, and has written a reaction to the decision.

— Posted by Peter Z. Scheer

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