The white Ferguson, Mo., cop who shot and killed an unarmed black teen is unlikely to face federal civil rights charges because of a lack of evidence, a new report said Friday.

Police Officer Darren Wilson told investigators he feared for his life as he struggled for his gun with Michael Brown inside his police cruiser, The New York Times reported, citing sources familiar with the US Justice Department’s probe into the case.

The six-year department veteran did not explain why he later left the patrol car and continued firing at Brown.

In his first explanation of the shooting, Wilson told a grand jury that Brown, 18, pinned him in his vehicle and tried to grab his gun before he began firing, the report said.
Forensic tests found Brown’s blood on Wilson’s pistol and the interior door panel.

Wilson also alleged that Brown began punching and scratching him — leaving visible swelling and cuts around his face and neck.

Wilson’s description of the attack also contradicts witness accounts that Brown was not acting violently toward police at the time of his death.

To find Wilson guilty, federal prosecutors would have to prove that he purposely violated Brown’s civil rights.