Ferguson’s Wilson not expecting criminal charges

White police officer Darren Wilson who gunned down an unarmed black teenager in the Missouri city of Ferguson is not expected to face criminal charges, police said.

“It’s fair to say that neither he nor his defense team expect an indictment,” Jeff Roorda, business manager for the St. Louis Police Officers’ Association, said Thursday.

Wilson remained secluded from the public eye since he fatally shot 18-year-old Michael Brown in August. He claimed that the shooting was an act of self-defense.

A 12-person grand jury has been hearing evidence in the case as it weighs whether to indict the officer. The jury will either indict Wilson or will decide that he should not be tried on criminal charges.

“Wilson seems confident that justice will be served, but neither he nor his attorneys shared any expectations with me,” Roorda said.

The police officer may return to work after a grand jury indictment.

Though police have a different account about the deadly shooting incident, several eyewitnesses say Brown held up his arms in surrender before he was shot. A report of the official autopsy also suggested that Brown was shot at close range.

Ferguson has been the scene of public demonstrations since the fatal shooting on August 9.

On Thursday afternoon, police arrested several protesters during a demonstration. They were rallying outside the Ferguson Police Department in the blistering cold, demanding the criminal indictment of Wilson.