Michael Brown Sr. And Lesley McSpadden: Parents Of Slain Teen Speak After Grand Jury Decision

UPDATE 1:20 p.m.: Sharpton said the prosecution has still not explained how a police officer could “feel like a child up against Hulk Hogan,” referring to Wilson’s testimony that he felt threatened by Brown during their encounter.

“So what kind of training and policing do you do?” he asked.

UPDATE 1:04 p.m.: The Rev. Al Sharpton spoke at the press conference. He chastised St. Louis County District Attorney Robert McCulloch for allegedly "discrediting" Michael Brown Jr. during the unveiling of the grand jury's findings Monday night. He said the jury only got Darren Wilson's side of the story, and that his account of the events that led to Brown's death went "unchallenged."

"If there were two sides, maybe some of the gaps would have been filled," Sharpton said. “We were not surprised at what the outcome was.... You have broken our hearts, but you have not broken our backs. We are going to continue to pursue justice."

He also reiterated the family's wish for protests in Ferguson to remain peaceful.

UPDATE 12:50 p.m.: Benjamin Crump, an attorney for Michael Brown's family, said the family could foresee what the outcome of the grand jury proceedings was going to be and called into question the process that led to the grand jury decision. He called the prosecutorial process "unfair."

"The process is broken," Crump said. "The local prosecutor has a symbiotic relationship with the local police." That is not normal, he said. "We object publicly and as loudly as we can that this process is broken."

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The parents of 18-year-old Michael Brown Jr. were scheduled to speak Tuesday about a grand jury’s decision to not indict their son’s shooter, Ferguson, Missouri, police officer Darren Wilson. A press conference was held at Greater St. Mark Missionary Baptist Church in St. Louis.

The jury on Monday came back with a “No True Bill” on each of the five possible indictments against Wilson. The jury of 12 people, whose identities have been kept secret, consisted of seven males and five females. Three of the jurors were black. The grand jury heard 70 hours of testimony from 60 witnesses.

The announcement of the grand jury’s decision sparked immediate protests in Ferguson. Tensions mounted Monday night as demonstrators reportedly set fire to two police vehicles and three buildings and vandalized storefronts. Police used tear gas and smoke canisters to disperse looters.

Michael Brown’s parents had previously said they were “profoundly disappointed” with the grand jury’s decision. They also urged protestors to remain peaceful. “Answering violence with violence is not the appropriate reaction,” the family’s statement read.