By Mustafa Caglayan
NEW YORK
Riots in the St. Louis County area continued for a third straight day Wednesday, with demonstrators protesting a grand jury’s decision not to indict a white police officer for fatally shooting an unarmed black teen.
Unrest appeared to be less intense than on the first two nights, caused by a mixture of inclement weather, afternoon snowfall, the eve of a major holiday and a boosted troop presence.
Several arrests were reported during the protest that followed a mock trial for officer Darren Wilson, who on Monday night avoided an indictment by a Missouri grand jury for killing 18-year-old Michael Brown.
The decision sparked violent protests in Ferguson, as well as rallies in many U.S. cities including New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Washington, Chicago and Atlanta.
Protests since the grand jury's decision have led to more than 400 arrests across the country.
Also on Wednesday, Brown’s parents expressed frustration at officer Wilson's version of events that led to their son's killing.
In his first TV interview since the fatal shooting in August, Wilson said that he shot the teen because he perceived him as threat to his life.
"The only way I can describe it is I felt like a 5-year-old holding onto Hulk Hogan," he told ABC News, adding that he had a "clean conscience" for what he did.
Speaking to NBC, Brown's mother said the officer's words were an "insult" and "disrespectful."
"I don't believe a word of it. I know my son far too well. Our son doesn't have a history of violence," Lesley McSpadden said in reference to Wilson’s claim that Brown struggled with him inside a patrol car and reached for the officer’s gun.
Brown's father also said he felt the prosecutors "crucified" his son's character.
Meanwhile, Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon is facing criticism for what is described as a delayed deployment of a larger number of National Guard troops to Ferguson before the announcement of the grand jury's decision.
“The National Guard was not deployed in enough time to save all our businesses,” Ferguson Mayor James Knowles said, calling the initial response to the protests "deeply disturbing."
Nixon ordered and additional 2,200 troops to the region on Tuesday, up from 700 on Monday, when hundreds of angry protesters poured into the streets of Ferguson.
Area businesses were looted, as well as cars and buildings set on fire and dozens of arrests on the first night of protests.
The state’s Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder also joined Knowles on Wednesday and said Nixon is to blame for not deploying enough troops before the unrest.
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