A reinvestigation into the 2014 police-involved shooting death of Michael Brown, which ignited nation-wide protests, concluded with no charges being filed against former Ferguson, Missouri police officer Darren Wilson.
According to NBC News, St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell said following the five-month review of the incident that he could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that when Wilson shot Brown he committed murder or manslaughter.
Despite the findings of the investigation, Bell emphasized that the investigation did not exonerate Wilson.
“There are so many points in which Darren Wilson could have handled the situation differently, and if he had, Michael Brown might still be alive,” Bell said, according to CNN.
“But that is not the question before us. The only question is whether we can prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a crime occurred,” the prosecuting attorney added. “The answer to that question is ‘no.’ And I would violate my ethical duties if I nonetheless brought charges.”
The latest probe into the case was kept a secret, because, according to Bell “We didn’t want to create a circus.”
In Nov. 2014, months after Brown was shot and killed, a grand jury declined to indict Wilson in Brown’s death, claiming there was no probable cause for indictment. Months later, in early 2015, the Justice Department declined to issue civil rights charges in the case.