Brown family’s attorneys call for peace, criticize Nixon

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Benjamin Crump (left) and Anthony Gray

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Jacob Kirn

Digital Producer- St. Louis Business Journal

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Attorneys for Michael Brown's family called on Thursday for peaceful demonstrations following the grand jury's decision.

Anthony Gray, one of the attorneys, also criticized Gov. Jay Nixon for singling out protesters this week, saying, "law enforcement should have been equally condemned by the governor. Zero tolerance (for violence) should have been conveyed to all."

"We also feel that it is important to implore law enforcement to execute reasonable restraint when dealing with demonstrators," Gray said.

Nixon said this week that violence from demonstrators would not be tolerated.

Dr. Michael Baden, the forensic pathologist who performed a private autopsy of Brown's body for his family, will testify before the grand jury Thursday.

Benjamin Crump, another of the family's lawyers, said he would not comment on the substance of Baden's testimony.

He and Gray reiterated their belief that evidence exists that shows Brown had his hands up prior to being killed.

Baden's preliminary autopsy showed that the muzzle of the gun used to shoot Brown was one to two feet — but perhaps as much as 30 feet — away from Brown when it fired.

Brown, Baden's autopsy concluded, had no physical markings that would indicate a struggle with Darren Wilson, the Ferguson police officer who killed him Aug. 9.

St. Louis County's autopsy of Brown's body concluded that Brown was shot six times, including at close range in the hand and had marijuana in his system at the time he was shot.