“He respected law enforcement,” the 18-year-old’s father, Michael Brown Sr., said on the “Today” show. “Who in their right mind would rush or charge at a police officer who has his gun?”
The appearance Wednesday on the NBC morning show by Brown Sr. and his ex-wife, Lesley McSpadden, comes after Wilson broke his silence Tuesday with an interview given to ABC News.
The officer said he had a clean conscience about the shooting, done as part of his job, he said.“I just felt the immense power that he had,” Wilson told George Stephanopoulos of the confrontation three months ago, noting that he felt overmatched. “And then the way I’ve described it is it was like a 5-year-old holding onto Hulk Hogan. That’s just how big this man was.”
Wilson’s primetime interview, which neither parent had watched, is “like insult after injury,” an emotional McSpadden said. “So disrespectful.”
McSpadden and Brown Sr. stood beside their attorney, Benjamin Crump, and the Rev. Al Sharpton during a press conference Tuesday decrying the jury decision, but they had not publicly spoken.Video also emerged Tuesday of McSpadden breaking into tears among a throng of people as the grand jury decision was announced Monday night. The clip captures her husband - Michael Brown’s stepfather - riling up the crowd, urging the assembled to “burn this bitch down!”
Looting, violence and fires did break out across the St. Louis area that night, ending with arrests and at least 12 buildings burnt to the ground. Asked if her husband’s actions were the cause, McSpadden said instead that Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon was responsible for the angry response because of the way he handled the investigation into the killing.
“The crowd was already stirred. It’s been stirring since Aug. 9. I wouldn’t hold him accountable for that,” McSpadden said. “They stirred the pot. They had everyone on edge.”
Protests overnight Tuesday were much calmer, though they spread to cities around the country, including in New York City, where the FDR Drive in Manhattan was effectively shut down for a time by masses of demonstrators.
Crump, appearing Wednesday with the grieving parents, said the family plans to continue to fight for justice and will actively pursue a civil suit and federal charges against Wilson.
We’re asking “not just for noise, let’s make a difference,” Crump said.
