“In the end, we cannot ethically bring this case to trial,” Bell told @tonymess. “Our investigation does not exonerate Darren Wilson.”
“By Missouri’s legal standards, not only would I have to prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, but I also would have to disprove a self-defense argument beyond a reasonable doubt. I can’t ethically charge him.” stlamerican.com/news/local_new…
Nearly six years after Michael Brown was shot to death by #Ferguson officer Darren Wilson, a new prosecutor explains why he reviewed the case and why he isn’t charging Wilson. @WesleyBell4STL presser: pscp.tv/w/cfHlVzEwNTY1…
The review started five months ago.
Why now? “Quite frankly there’s no good time for this. There’s never going to be a good time.”
Bell stressed that the decision not to charge did not exonerate Darren Wilson, who he said had multiple opportunities to make different decisions that may not have resulted in Michael Brown’s death. He also listed changes in his office and grand jury proceedings.
That’s not going to be enough for those counting on him to at least appoint a special prosecutor. Tory Russell called him out as Bell left the mic:
Big assumption here that the wounds ever closed.
.@ArchCityDefense, other orgs respond to Bell’s decision (🧵 starts here) 
Lezley McSpadden, Michael Brown’s mother, told the @StLouisAmerican she is disappointed that Bell relied solely on forensics and interviews collected in 2014. stlamerican.com/news/local_new…
#Ferguson Thursday night
#Ferguson Thursday night
