A St. Louis County grand jury met for 25 days over three months and heard more than 70 hours of testimony from about 60 witnesses — many of whom gave conflicting statements — before deciding not to indict Ferguson police Officer Darren Wilson in the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown, according to prosecutor Bob McCulloch. 
 
 Here are some of the highlights from the testimony, released by McCulloch's office Monday night: 
 
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 A PUNCH TO THE FACE 
 
 Wilson told the grand jury that he initially encountered Brown and a friend walking in a street and told them to move to the sidewalk, drawing an expletive from Brown. Wilson said he noticed that Brown had a handful of cigars, "and that's when it clicked for me" that the men were suspects in the theft of a convenience store reported minutes earlier. 
 
 Wilson said he asked a dispatcher to send additional officers, then backed his vehicle in front of Brown and his friend. As he tried to open the door, Wilson said, Brown slammed it back shut. Wilson said he pushed Brown with the door and Brown hit him in the face. Wilson told grand jurors he was thinking: "What do I do not to get beaten inside my car?" 
 
 Wilson said he drew his gun and threatened to shoot if Brown didn't move back, fearing another punch to the face could "knock me out or worse." 
 
 "He immediately grabs my gun and says, 'You are too much of a pussy to shoot me,'" Wilson said, saying he thought he would be shot when Brown dug the gun into the officer's hip. 
 
 ___ 
 
 AN ANGRY LOOK 
 
 Wilson said he managed to pull the trigger, and the gun "clicked" twice without firing before a shot went through the window. Wilson said Brown stepped back and then looked at him with the "most intense, aggressive face." 
 
 "The only way I can describe it, it looks like a demon, that's how angry he looked. He comes back towards me again with his hands up." 
 
 Wilson said he covered his face and fired the gun again. He told the grand jury that he fired two shots in the car before Brown took off running and he followed him. 
 
 Wilson said when Brown stopped, he told him to get on the ground. He said he squeezed a series of shots when Brown kept coming toward him and put his right hand under his shirt in the waistband of his pants. 
 
 He said he fired another round of shots as Brown continued to gain on him, approaching Wilson as if he was going to tackle him: "Just coming straight at me like he was going to run right through me. And when he gets about ... 8 to 10 feet away ... all I see is his head and that's what I shot." 
 
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 A FRIEND'S SHOCK 
 
 Brown's companion that day, Dorian Johnson, told the grand jury he was stunned when Brown stole cigarillos from the convenience store, and expected to be arrested while they were walking home. But Wilson drove on after originally telling them to get on the sidewalk, reversing his vehicle and coming back at the pair after they ignored his demand. 
 
 "After he pulled back, there was no more sidewalk talk, it was nothing, it was just anger," Johnson told the grand jury. 
 
 He said Wilson opened his door suddenly, striking Brown, then closed the door and grabbed Brown by the neck. He said the two men engaged in a "tug of war" each holding on to the other's shirt and arms. 
 
 As the two wrestled, he said he heard Wilson say, "I'll shoot." Johnson said he never saw Brown punch Wilson, and didn't think he grabbed the officer's gun. 
 
 Johnson described being in shock as he realized things were getting out of control. 
 
 "At the time I couldn't open my mouth. I couldn't speak. I wanted to say could someone calm down . I'm still standing there, more shocked than ever because I see it is escalating, I can see and hear the cuss words, I can see the frowns on their faces getting more intense." 
 
 ___ 
 
 TRYING TO RUN 
 
 After the initial shots were fired, Johnson said he and Brown took off running. After Wilson shot again, he said Brown stopped running and turned to face the officer. 
 
 "At that time Big Mike's hands was up, but not so much in the air because he had been struck ... he said I don't have a gun, but he's still mad, he still has his angry face. I don't have a gun. ... And before he can say the second sentence or before he can even get it out, that's when the several more shots came." 
 
 Johnson was asked if Brown ran at the officer prior to the fatal volley. He insisted he did not. ||||| Are you there? Please share photos, videos and thoughts with CNN iReport if you can do so safely. 
 
 Ferguson, Missouri (CNN) -- The announcement of a grand jury's decision not to indict Ferguson police Officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of unarmed teen Michael Brown was met with chaos Monday night. 
 
 While many of the protesters were peaceful, more than 15 gunshots were heard as businesses throughout the city were looted or set ablaze. 
 
 The violence marred the wishes of Brown's parents, who have been pleading for peace. 
 
 "This is crazy. I mean, this doesn't do anything," one resident told CNN. 
 
 She worried about how her city would pick up the pieces. 
 
 "They're not going to rebuild. It's just going to be a ghost town pretty soon." 
 
 [Breaking news update at 3:06 a.m.] 
 
 Police made 29 arrests amid the protests and violence, St. Louis County Police said. The police chief said he heard at least 150 gunshots, but authorities said police did not fire at anyone. 
 
 [Breaking news update at 2:52 a.m.] 
 
 No police have sustained any serious injuries, St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar said. He said to his knowledge, police have not caused any serious injuries. 
 
 [Breaking news update at 2:26 a.m.] 
 
 Several businesses and a row of cars at a car dealership have been set ablaze in the nearby city of Dellwood. The city's mayor said firefighters are unable to respond to one major fire because of gunshots ringing out. 
 
 [Breaking news update at 2:19 a.m.] 
 
 Gov. Jay Nixon has ordered more Missouri National Guard members to Ferguson. The Guard is providing security at the Ferguson Police Department, Nixon's office said. 
 
 [Breaking news update at 1:14 a.m.] 
 
 CNN's Sara Sidner was struck in the head with a rock as more rocks flew around her. Amid the looting and arson across Ferguson, some protesters demanded the media stop reporting on the events. 
 
 [Breaking news update at 1:09 a.m.] 
 
 Firefighters responding to a business engulfed in flames left the scene after gunfire rang out, CNN's Stephanie Elam said. They have not returned. 
 
 [Breaking news update at 12:50 a.m.] 
 
 Due to reports of gunshots fired into the sky, the Federal Aviation Administration has issued a temporary flight restriction over Ferguson, Missouri until 4:15 a.m. Tuesday morning. Only law enforcement aircraft will be allowed to fly in the zone, and media aircraft are flying just above the zone, the FAA said. 
 
 [Breaking news update at 12:24 a.m.] 
 
 An entire row of businesses are now on fire on West Florissant Avenue, a major street in Ferguson, Missouri. There are so many fires in the city that firefighters haven't been able to reach all of them, CNN's Sara Sidner said. 
 
 [Breaking news update at 12:12 a.m.] 
 
 St. Louis' main airport has a temporary flight restriction, according to a tweet from Lambert-St. Louis International Airport. The restriction is for incoming flights, not outgoing, according to the airport message. 
 
 "It is affecting just a handful of remaining flights that are due in," spokesman Jeff Lea told CNN. 
 
 [Breaking news update at 11:48 p.m.] 
 
 Several more businesses are being looted or set on fire in Ferguson, Missouri. Meanwhile, protesters have shut down Interstate 44. Police officers are now standing in a line across highway lanes. 
 
 [Breaking news update at 11:33 p.m.] 
 
 A Little Caesars pizza restaurant has been set ablaze as chaos continues to mount throughout Ferguson, Missouri. 
 
 "What is so tragic is this is exactly what the parents of Mike Brown did not want," CNN commentator Van Jones said. 
 
 [Breaking news update at 11:23 p.m.] 
 
 Officer Darren Wilson told a grand jury that Michael Brown punched him in the face when he drove back to him after identifying him as a possible suspect in a shop theft, according to documents released by St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Robert McCulloch. 
 
 He said he tried to get out of his cruiser, but Brown slammed the door shut twice and hit him with his fist. 
 
 "I felt that another of those punches in my face could knock me out or worse," Wilson said. "... I've already taken two to the face and I didn't think I would, the third one could be fatal if he hit me right." 
 
 It appears all the names of witnesses have been redacted in the court documents. 
 
 [Breaking news update at 11:21 p.m.] 
 
 "Right now all hell is breaking loose," St. Louis blogger Aaron Laxton said. 
 
 [Breaking news update 11:09 p.m. ET] 
 
 Protests have started across the country, including in New York, Chicago and in front of the White House in Washington, following a grand jury's decision not to indict Ferguson police Officer Darren Wilson. 
 
 [Breaking news update 11:05 p.m. ET] 
 
 A few protesters hurled items at CNN's Stephanie Elam, and some said they did not want the media reporting on the unrest in Ferguson. 
 
 [Breaking news update 11:05 p.m. ET] 
 
 Attorney General Eric Holder stressed that the federal civil rights investigation into the shooting death of Michael Brown continues. 
 
 "Even at this mature stage of the investigation, we have avoided prejudging any of the evidence," Holder said. " And although federal civil rights law imposes a high legal bar in these types of cases, we have resisted forming premature conclusions." 
 
 [Breaking news update 11:01 p.m. ET] 
 
 The violence that has broken out in Ferguson following the grand jury's decision to not indict Officer Darren Wilson is not what the Brown family wanted, family attorney Benjamin Crump told CNN. "They wish that people will not be violent" but be peaceful and constructive, he said. 
 
 [Breaking news update 11 p.m. ET] 
 
 Ferguson Market & Liquor -- the same store where Michael Brown had allegedly stolen cigars before his confrontation with Officer Darren Wilson in August -- was being looted Monday night, CNN crews reported. 
 
 [Breaking news update 10:59 p.m.ET] 
 
 A grand jury decided not to indict Ferguson police Officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of Michael Brown, setting off fresh confrontations between protesters and police in the tense Missouri city Monday night. 
 
 While most of the protesters were peacefully assembled on the streets of Ferguson, some protesters smashed the windows of a police cruiser and tried to overturn it, CNN's Jake Tapper reported. Some picked up bricks and smashed the windows of a restaurant. 
 
 Several gunshots were heard, CNN teams on the ground said. 
 
 Some protesters rushed the officers lined up in front of the Ferguson police department. Some in the crowd told the agitators to stop throwing bottles, but their urgings fells on deaf air. 
 
 Police responded by lobbing tear gas, even though they said they were smoke pellets. 
 
 One protester named Angel told CNN that a woman in the crowd had a heart attack, and as several people tried to carry the woman away, they were tear gassed. 
 
 In the distance, a police cruiser was on fire. 
 
 Fearing just such a reaction, Brown's father had urged demonstrators earlier to remain calm no matter what the grand jury decided. 
 
 "Hurting others or destroying property is not the answer," Michael Brown Sr. said. "No matter what the grand jury decides, I do not want my son's death to be in vain. I want it to lead to incredible change, positive change. Change that makes the St. Louis region better for everyone." 
 
 Brown Sr.'s words were echoed by President Barack Obama who too called for calm. 
 
 It is an "understandable reaction" that some Americans will agree and others will be made angry by the decision to not indict Wilson, Obama said Monday night. 
 
 "First and foremost, we are a nation built on the rule of law, so we need to accept this decision was the grand jury's to make," he said. 
 
 What's next for Darren Wilson? 
 
 'Let's make a difference' 
 
 Wilson, a white police officer, shot and killed Brown, a black teenager, on August 9. 
 
 After an "exhaustive review," the jurors deliberated for two days, he said. The grand jurors are "the only ones who have heard all the evidence," St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Robert McCulloch told reporters. 
 
 "The physical and scientific evidence examined by the grand jury, combined with the witness statements, supported and substantiated by that physical evidence, tells the accurate and tragic story of what happened," he said. 
 
 Brown's father is "devastated" that Wilson will not face charges, a spokeswoman for Michael Brown Sr. told CNN's Evan Perez. 
 
 "While we understand that many others share our pain, we ask that you channel your frustration in ways that will make a positive change," the family said in a statement. "We need to work together to fix the system that allowed this to happen." The family made a call for police officers across the country to wear body cameras. 
 
 The statement closed: "Let's not just make noise, let's make a difference." 
 
 What's next for Brown family? 
 
 'Split second decision' 
 
 Through a statement issued by his attorneys, Officer Wilson expressed thanks to those who have "stood by his side" since the August 9 shooting of Michael Brown. "Law enforcement personnel must frequently make split-second and difficult decisions," the statement said. "Officer Wilson followed his training and followed the law." 
 
 'Not the time to turn on each other' 
 
 Earlier Monday, officials urged residents to remain calm -- regardless of the grand jury announcement. 
 
 "No matter what is announced, people will be emotional. I want people to think with their heads and not with emotion," said St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley. "This is not the time to turn on each other. It is a time to turn to each other." 
 
 Brown's death ignited a national debate on race and law enforcement. Nowhere was the tension more evident than in the predominantly black town of Ferguson, which has a mostly white police department and town government. 
 
 Supporters of Brown's family back witness accounts that Wilson fired while Brown, 18, had his hands up in surrender. Wilson's supporters say that Brown was the aggressor and had tried to take Wilson's gun while he was in his vehicle and that the officer fired in self-defense. 
 
 The town couldn't even agree what happened during weeks of street demonstrations. Protesters argued that authorities were trying to stifle protests; officials said they were acting to keep violence under control. 
 
 'A thousand Fergusons across America' 
 
 'We're just ready for it to be over with' 
 
 Byron Conley, protesting outside city police department, told CNN before the grand jury announcement, "We're just ready for it to be over with. Let's get on with our lives." 
 
 Rick Canamore stood with his sign -- "RIP Mike Brown" -- outside the police department. 
 
 "I'm already angry because it has taken so long," he said. "If Mike Brown had shot Darren Wilson, it would have been over a long time ago. But Darren Wilson is walking around free. He hasn't apologized to Mike Brown's family. He has not apologized to the community." 
 
 Though the basic facts of the case -- that Brown was unarmed when Wilson shot him -- are not in question, the facts of the fatal moment are hotly disputed. Authorities have said Wilson stopped Brown because Brown and a friend were blocking traffic, by walking down the middle of the street. 
 
 Protests in Ferguson might be hampered by winter weather, with temperatures expected to drop into the upper 20s Monday night. 
 
 Protests spread far beyond Ferguson 
 
 Unanimous indictment decision isn't needed 
 
 Unlike a jury in a criminal case, which convicts someone if jurors are convinced of guilt "beyond a reasonable doubt," a grand jury decides whether there is "probable cause" to charge someone with a crime, based on testimony and evidence presented. 
 
 In Missouri, grand jurors don't have to be unanimous to indict, as long as nine of the 12 agree on a charge. 
 
 The grand jury could have issued an indictment on any of these four charges: First-degree murder, second-degree murder, voluntary manslaughter and involuntary manslaughter. 
 
 It also could have added a charge of armed criminal action, authorities said. 
 
 Complete coverage of what's happening in Ferguson 
 
 Moni Basu reported from Ferguson. Holly Yan and Dana Ford reported and wrote in Atlanta. CNN's Rachel Clarke, Ralph Ellis, Steve Almasy, Evan Perez and Josh Levs also contributed to this report.
– Why did the grand jury decide against indicting Darren Wilson? Soon after the decision was announced, the St. Louis County prosecuting attorney's office released thousands of pages of evidence that had been presented to the jurors over 25 days of meetings that included testimony from around 60 witnesses. Some key points, as reported by the AP, CNN, and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Wilson said he feared for his life after Michael Brown punched him twice in the face and slammed the door on him as he tried to get out of his cruiser. "I felt that another of those punches in my face could knock me out or worse," the officer said. "I've already taken two to the face and I didn't think I would, the third one could be fatal if he hit me right." (Much more on Wilson's testimony here.) In a gallery of photos from the officer's medical examination after he shot the teenager, Wilson appears to have a bruise (described as a "facial contusion") on the right side of his face and abrasions on his neck. Dorian Johnson, who was with Brown at the time, testified that he saw the teenager struggle with Wilson, and "I'm hearing cuss words from both of them, but I don't really hear the officer saying you know, stop or get down on the ground." He said he didn't see Brown run at Wilson, but saw him take a step toward him "to show him that he didn't have anything." Another witness who was working nearby gave an account that resembles Wilson's, saying he saw Brown do a "body gesture" of some kind and immediately after, "he came for force, full charge at the officer." One juror asked the officer why he didn't just drive away. "My thought is, I was still dealing with a threat at my car," Wilson said. "You know, we're trained not to run away from a threat, to deal with a threat and that is what I was doing. That never entered my mind to flee." The final witness was a homicide detective who investigated the shooting, and jurors asked him a long series of questions. "This officer felt he was in danger of being beaten to death sitting in his car, you could almost say there was a weapon involved at that point, that's where I'm confused a little bit," one juror said. "I understand no weapon in the form of a pistol or a handgun, if you are in danger, that your life was in danger that you are being beaten to death, is there a weapon or not?"