Darren Wilson thanks supporters after Ferguson jury's decision

FERGUSON, Mo. -- Ferguson police Officer Darren Wilson has thanked those who have supported him since he shot and killed 18-year-old Michael Brown during a confrontation in August.

Wilson's lawyers issued a statement Tuesday in which they say the 28-year-old officer and his family greatly appreciate the continued support of those who have stood by him.

Violent protests erupted Monday night after it was announced that a grand jury that spent months examining the case decided not to indict the white officer in the death of Brown, who was black and unarmed.

Wilson's lawyers say they believe the jury's decision was right and note that officers often must make "split-second and difficult decisions."

Wilson told the grand jury that he felt "like a five-year-old holding onto Hulk Hogan" when he and Brown allegedly engaged in a struggle inside the officer's vehicle that preceded the deadly shooting.

CBS News legal analyst Rikki Klieman said Tuesday that in the Ferguson case, the grand jury relied on the forensic evidence and they also believed Wilson's version of what transpired on Aug. 9.

"Officer Wilson's story, according to the prosecutor, matches the physical evidence much more than many of the eyewitnesses' stories," Klieman said. "And one of the things about Officer Wilson when he does testify, which he didn't have to do, he chose to do, is that ... he talks about his subjective fear ... and he is terrified by virtue of his own words. Clearly the grand jury chose to believe him."