In the question and answer period after his announcement that Darren Wilson would not be indicted for killing Michael Brown, St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Bob McCulloch said the grand jurors responsible for the decision "gave up their lives" to work on the case.
In a case that he later acknowledged involved the actual loss of life — 18-year-old Brown's — that choice of words was tone deaf at best. And people listening noticed.
These grand jurors "gave up their lives," the prosecutor says. Fortunately, in their case, that was only a figure of speech.
— Will Oremus (@WillOremus) November 25, 2014
If someone shot my child and the prosecutor went on about how the jurors gave up their lives I would do something very violent.
— Amanda Nelson (@ImAmandaNelson) November 25, 2014
"These grand jurors gave up their lives…" UNBELIEVABLE. #Ferguson
— Quinn Sutherland (@ReelQuinn) November 25, 2014
This PERSON did not say that these people "gave up their lives" to hear this material in the case in #Ferguson. #MikeBrown gave up his LIFE.
— tarabetts (@tarabetts) November 25, 2014
Gave up their lives to be on the grand jury? Poor word choice.
— Blair LM Kelley (@profblmkelley) November 25, 2014
"They gave up their lives." I don't think you know what that means.
— Erik Tanouye (@toyns) November 25, 2014