More officers called in to guard St. Louis City Hall as protests continue – Part 1

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• JUDY WOODRUFF:

  Anger over Monday's grand jury decision not to indict Ferguson, Missouri, police officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of Michael Brown continued to reverberate today. Protests continued across the country and in the Saint Louis area, where, this afternoon, 100 additional officers were called in to protect City Hall.

• PROTESTERS:

  This is what democracy looks like.

• JUDY WOODRUFF:

  The day of demonstrations started peacefully in Saint Louis, but once protesters turned their sights on City Hall's entrance, riot police swarmed in.

• PROTESTER:

  Who is this for?

• PROTESTERS:

  Mike Brown!

• PROTESTER:

  Who is this for?

• PROTESTERS:

  Me!

• PROTESTER:

  Who is this for?

• PROTESTERS:

  You!

• JUDY WOODRUFF:

  Still, in San Diego and other cities, protests remained largely calm, as did gatherings in New York City and Washington, D.C., last night.

• WOMAN:

  It's not just an individualized incident. This happens every 28 hours. A black person is killed by police every 28 hours in America.

• JUDY WOODRUFF:

  But in, Oakland, California, police made several arrests after protesters blocked highways and vandalized squad cars and local businesses.

• MAN:

  Standing in the street is subject to arrest. You need to disperse now.

• JUDY WOODRUFF:

  And back in Ferguson, protesters returned to the riot-scarred streets. The demonstrations were far lass destructive than Monday evening, thanks largely to hundreds of additional National Guard troops deployed by Gov. Jay Nixon. Officers still used tear gas and pepper spray to counter volleys from some.

• JON BELMAR, Chief, St. Louis County Police Department:

  Rocks, bottles, a socket extension, it looks like broken tent poles that were hurled at the officers. JUDY WOODRUFF: Protesters also set a police car on fire and smashed windows at city hall.

• MAN:

  It was like watching a movie. So it's just a dangerous situation, man. Try to stay out the way.

• JUDY WOODRUFF:

  This as more details emerged of the shooting that started it all.

• DARREN WILSON:

  There's not a cop out there who goes out there and they're like, you know, I'm going to use my gun today. No one wants to.

• JUDY WOODRUFF:

  Officer Wilson told his side of the story to ABC's George Stephanopoulos yesterday.

• GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS:

  You described Michael Brown, when you saw him in that moment in the car, as a demon. Do you know where that word came from?

• DARREN WILSON:

  It was just such a high level of intensity and aggression and anger.

• GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS:

  You're positive you would have that exact same reaction if he were white?

• DARREN WILSON:

  Yes.

• JUDY WOODRUFF:

  In an interview today with PBS' Charlie Rose, Michael Brown's parents reflected on their loss.

• CHARLIE ROSE:

  To lose your son that way and to know that his body lay there for four hours on the street, what's at the core here?

  LESLEY MCSPADDEN, Brown's mother: We deserve equal amount of respect, and we're not getting it.

• CHARLIE ROSE:

  How can you become whole again?

  MICHAEL BROWN SR., Brown's father: That was my first, spent a lot of time together. It just — just broke me. It broke me.

• JUDY WOODRUFF:

  The Brown family could still file a wrongful death suit against Wilson.

  We will talk further about how this incident is exacerbating the racial divide in this country just after the rest of today's headlines.