WASHINGTON, Nov. 24 -- U.S. President Barack Obama Monday evening called for peace in the wake of the country's grand jury's decision not to charge Darren Wilson in the fatal shooting of African American youth Michael Brown in Ferguson in August.

"We are a nation built on the rule of law, and so we need to accept that this decision was the grand jury's to make," he said during a statement at White House.

Anger, he said, is an understandable reaction. But he said violence is not the answer.

Speaking about an hour after verdict,the president quoted Michael Brown's father, Michael Brown Sr., who asked protesters to avoid violence.

Obama also called on law enforcement to use restraint.

"They've got a tough job to do," he said. "As they do their jobs in the coming days, they need to work with the community, not against the community."

The president called for more training for law enforcement to treat people fairly while fighting crime and noted that many Americans feel the law isn't applied equally.

"We do have work to do here, and we shouldn't try to paper it over," he said.

The death on Aug. 9 of 18-year-old Brown sparked a series of protests in the small town, featuring tense standoffs between protesters and police in riot gear.