White police officer Darren Wilson will not be facing criminal charges for fatally shooting Michael Brown a few months back in Ferguson, Missouri. According to The New York Times, the decision was made by a St. Louis County grand jury after two days of deliberation. The verdict was announced by prosecutor Robert McCulloch.

The case has caught public interest as it appears to be an issue of racial discrimination; Brown is an African-American. The 18-year-old was killed off through a police confrontation in August, wrote USA Today. Wilson fired six shots during the incident, killing the unarmed teenager.

Civil unrest outside the Ferguson Police Department took place following the decision. Calling for a peaceful protest, U.S. president Barack Obama said, "We need to accept that this decision was the grand jury's to make," quoted USA Today.

Reuters reported that violent protests ensued Monday night. Gunshots took over the Ferguson Police Department area. A police car was set on fire. Authorities responded by firing back tear gas at the roaring crowd.

Preparations for a possible public unrest have been made ahead of time by Missouri governor Jay Nixon. As we previously reported, Nixon issued a state of emergency days before the grand jury decision was out.

He encouraged opposing parties via NBC News, "Our shared hope and expectation is that, regardless of the decision, people on all sides show tolerance, mutual respect and restraint,"

The breakdown of the jury's decision has been made confidential -- nine out of twelve jurors were needed to execute indictment of charges. The body was made of nine White and three Black members.

Obama claimed that America is a nation "built on the rule of law." He said in the Reuters report: "We need to recognize that the situation in Ferguson speaks to broader challenges that we still face as a nation. The fact remains that in too many parts of this country a deep distrust exists between police and communities of color."

Brown's family likewise appealed for a non-violent course of action. The New York Times quoted the family's statement:

"We are profoundly disappointed that the killer of our child will not face the consequence of his actions.

"While we understand that many others share our pain, we ask that you channel your frustration in ways that will make a positive change. We need to work together to fix the system that allowed this to happen."

NBC News said St. Louis County's population is 70% White; Ferguson, on the other hand, is predominantly (two-thirds) Black.

Watch the official announcement (via TodayNews) below.