The justice system plays a crucial role in meting out punishments to underpin democracy. So when a grand jury declined to indict white police officer Darren Wilson who shot dead an unarmed black teen Michael Brown, the whole controversy around the incident should have been settled.

But on the contrary, the ensuing disturbing scene of an outraged public crying foul nationwide, as well as outspoken criticisms from other judicial experts and staff, indicated a rather uncomfortable truth happening in the US, a democracy with a propensity to blame others for being undemocratic: the failure to prosecute Wilson was unjustified.

While Brown's death has become a symbol of simmering mistrust and racism, the recent ruling not to indict Wilson made a mockery of a justice system that apparently lacks justice.

According to the initial police interview, Wilson encountered Brown only to ask the latter to walk on the sidewalk. And Wilson explicitly said he started the conversation politely.

However, in the grand jury interview later, Wilson shifted the reason for the fatal encounter, claiming that he stopped Brown because he spotted marijuana leaves on the victim's socks.

This was not the only inconsistency in Wilson's testimonies, which should have played a crucial role in the prosecution process. Another suspicious inconsistency was in Wilson's recount of his shootings.

In the police interview, Wilson said he forgot how many shots he fired. Neither did he remember where the shootings occurred. However, during his grand jury testimony, he was able to pin down each shooting with confidence, and described how a fierce-looking Brown even charged toward him after being shot.

We will never know what is behind these inconsistencies, since there will be no trial.

Nevertheless, the fact that no justice will be done to another black man shot dead by police is both saddening and frustrating.

Such a justice system reveals the hypocrisy of the country touting itself as a human rights defender and judge.

This is a commentary from the Xinhua News Agency. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn 

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