Exclusive: Michael Brown family - Ferguson case would be closed if we were white
The parents of an unarmed black teenager shot dead by US police in August have been denied justice because of their colour, they told ITV News in their first interview on British television.
Michael Brown Sr and Lesley McSpadden said the police officer who killed their 18-year-old son Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri would have been indicted by now if the family had been white.
When asked why their fight for justice had not yet been resolved, Brown Sr responded: "Because of our colour, to be honest. If it was the other way around I think this case would be closed."
A grand jury is currently deliberating on whether to indict police officer Darren Wilson over the killing and could announce its decision as soon as this weekend.
"Hopefully it goes further than just being talked about - an indictment will come and things will be better," Brown Snr told ITV News.
He said the family were "just trying to get our voices heard, trying to get...some justice for our son."
ITV News' Washington Correspondent Robert Moore reports:
More: Parents of US teenager Michael Brown reject police apology
Michael Brown's killing sparked several days of protests in Ferguson, fuelled by racial tension in a city where a black-majority population lives under a white-majority local government.
However, Brown and McSpadden are keen to avoid a repeat of that unrest, whatever the outcome of the grand jury decision.
"We're calling for peace no matter how it goes. We're going to protest with peace, just in respect of our son. We don't want no one else getting hurt," said Brown Sr, who believes the case has highlighted failings in America's justice system.
McSpadden agreed that the killing of Michael Brown Jr could be the catalyst for change.
The couple testified about their son's case before the United Nations Committee Against Torture in Geneva earlier this week in an attempt to add pressure on the US authorities.
But if the grand jury opts against an indictment for Wilson, they say they will have little option but to continue their fight - locally and internationally.