While we have not been a fan of how any level of government has handed the aftermath of the Michael Brown shooting, tonight’s presentation by St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Bob McCulloch was relentlessly methodical in laying out the facts and evidence that resulted in the grand jury declining to prosecute Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson.

A grand jury in St. Louis County on Monday declined to indict the Ferguson police officer who shot and killed an unarmed black teenager in August in a case that touched off nationwide protests and cries of police brutality.

St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Bob McCulloch announced the decision Monday evening. A grand jury of nine whites and three blacks had been meeting weekly since Aug. 20 to consider evidence. The panel met for 70 hours and heard from 60 witnesses.

McCulloch stressed that the grand jurors were “the only people who heard every witness … and every piece of evidence.” He said many witness presented conflicting statements that ultimately were inconsistent with the physical evidence.

“These grand jurors poured their hearts and soul into this process,” he said.

Perhaps the most devastating part of the press conference was listening to McCulloch note how many of the alleged “eyewitnesses” admitted that they saw very or nothing when placed under oath and presented with physical evidence that counteracted their initial claims.

Three autopsies were performed, and all three yielded consistent results that supported Darren Wilson’s claim of self-defense.

All the witnesses who said that Michael Brown was advancing upon Officer, Wilson including those who described Brown’s advance as “charging” officer Wilson, were African-American.

Unfortunately, justice moves slowly, and the same fearful mythology that led to rioting in August is already leading to early claims of violence in Ferguson.

We’re hoping that cooler heads prevail and that the grifters, agitators, and opportunistic criminals are dealt with quickly. 

Be safe, folks.