St. Louis prosecutor says witnesses lied to grand jury in Michael Brown case

St. Louis County prosecuting attorney Robert McCulloch spoke with a local radio station on Friday, and in the interview, he said lying witnesses in the Michael Brown case were "a legitimate issue."

"There were people who came in and yes, absolutely lied under oath," McCulloch said in comments reported by NPR. "Some lied to the FBI — even though they're not under oath, that's another potential offense, a federal offense."

When asked why he had waited a month to speak about the grand jury that declined to indict Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson in the August shooting of Michael Brown, McCulloch said he "didn't want to fire things up."

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The prosecutor added that he will not seek perjury charges for the witnesses that he believed lied to the grand jury, and he added that the lying "went both directions."

"I thought it was much more important that the grand jury hear everything, what people have to say — and they're in a perfect position to assess the credibility," McCulloch said. "(That) is what juries do."