American minister and civil rights activist Reverend Al Sharpton on Sunday called the shooting death of unarmed black teenager, Michael Brown, a "defining moment" for the United States.

Speaking at a rally in the town of Ferguson, Sharpton said he wants Congress to stop programmes that provide military-style weaponry to police departments.

He also condemned the recent spate of violence and looting in Ferguson.

Protests have been ongoing since Brown's death heightened racial tensions between the predominantly black community and mostly white Ferguson Police Department, leading to several run-ins between police and protesters and prompting Missouri's governor to put the state highway patrol in charge of security.

Meanwhile, Attorney General Eric Holder has ordered a federal medical examiner to perform another autopsy on Brown.

The "extraordinary circumstances" surrounding the death of the 18-year-old, and a request by Brown's family members prompted the order, Department of Justice spokesman Brian Fallon said in a statement.

The Justice Department had already deepened its civil rights investigation into the shooting.

Officials said 40 FBI agents were going door-to-door gathering information in the Ferguson, Missouri, neighbourhood where Brown, who was unarmed, was shot dead on August 9 in the street.

++AUDIO AS INCOMING++

AP TELEVISION

1. Wide of audience at rally in Ferguson

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Ty Pruitt, Michael Brown's Cousin:

"This (holds up hands), was the last actions that our family member made before he went to rest. This (holds up hands), will be stuck in my family's memories for the rest of our lives. So when you protest, (holds up hands)."

3. Brown's parents on stage

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Benjamin Crump, Family lawyer:

"So when we say what we're here for today, united for justice, for Michael Brown junior. What we're really asking for is simple justice. We're not asking for anything extraordinary, they just want what anybody else will want if their children was shot down in broad daylight. A fair and impartial investigation. They want to know that they will have their day in court, that the killer of their child will be held accountable to the full extent of the law."

5. Reverend Al Sharpton shaking hands with parents on stage

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Reverend Al Sharpton, National Action Network:

"The debate is how the rights of people are dealt with by the state. Ferguson and Michael Brown Junior will be a defining moment on how this country deals with policing and the rights of its citizens to redress how police behave in this country."

7. Cutaway of Michael Brown's family

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Reverend Al Sharpton, National Action Network:

"While this mother and this father and their families haven't even had the time to bury their son, the police chief would release a tape trying to disparage his name while his mama's still weeping, while the family hasn't even laid him to rest. How can the young folk of the city believe in a system that would try to spit on the name and character of a young man who hasn't even been buried."

9. Cutaway of audience

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Reverend Al Sharpton, National Action Network: ++END OF SOUNDBITE OVERLAID WITH SHOT 11++

"We need to go to Congress after they come back from break, we going to call the day, we'll announce it (inaudible), we're going to have a arms up rally and march in DC (Washington DC) to demand federal legislation around policing how we get police and community to work together."

11. Audience giving standing ovation holding hands in air, cheering

12. Cutaway of Reverend Jesse Jackson in audience at rally

Lawyers for Michael Brown's family said on Tuesday that the process that led to a white officer not being indicted in the fatal shooting of the unarmed, black 18-year-old was unfair and broken.

At a news conference in Ferguson they objected to St. Louis County Prosecutor Bob McCulloch's decision to call a grand jury and to not appoint a special prosecutor.

Lawyer Anthony Gray called for "a presentation of evidence that if fair and impartial."

Civil rights activist Reverend Al Sharpton said they were not surprised by the outcome of the process, as they had "little faith in a state prosecution."

Sharpton criticised those who committed violence on Monday night, following the grant jury's announcement.

"Certainly there will be emotional reactions, I've never seen a case where there wasn't. You're dealing with their flesh and blood. But let the record be clear, you have broken our hearts, but you have not broken our backs," he said.

Michael Brown's father stood with the lawyers and Sharpton, but did not speak to reporters.

More than 1,000 pages of grand jury documents were released on Monday, including the testimony of officer Darren Wilson, who shot and killed Brown on 9 August.

The US Justice Department has its own investigation into possible civil rights violations that could result in federal charges for Wilson, but investigators would need to satisfy a rigorous standard of proof.

The department also has launched a broad probe into the Ferguson Police Department.

AP TELEVISION

Ferguson, Missouri - 25 November 2014

1. Michael Brown's father, Michael Brown Sr., and lawyers walking into news conference

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Benjamin Crump, Brown family lawyer:

"We went through as much evidence as we could and saw how completely unfair this process was. We object (as) publicly and loudly as we can on behalf of Michael Brown Junior's family, that this process is broken. The process should be indicted. It should be indicted because of the continuous systematic results that is yielded by this process."

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Anthony Gray, Brown family lawyer:

"It's things like that, that just raises all kinds of red flags for us in this process. But we are going to hold out hope that at some point justice will be served and we will at least have a presentation of evidence that is fair and impartial and then we will allow the chips to fall where they may."

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Reverend Al Sharpton, civil rights activist:

"Last night, the appearance by the District Attorney made it clear to everyone why we had little faith in a state prosecution. I've been out involved in civil rights all my life. We have seen cases go ways that we felt were right and ways that we felt was wrong. I've never seen a prosecutor hold a press conference to discredit the victim."

5. Cutaway of news conference

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Reverend Al Sharpton, civil rights activist:

"We were not surprised at what the outcome was. Certainly it is painful for the mother and the father. Certainly there will be emotional reactions, I've never seen a case where there wasn't. You're dealing with their flesh and blood. But let the record be clear, you have broken our hearts, but you have not broken our backs."

7. Close-up of Sharpton asking Michael Brown Senior if he wishes to talk, Brown declining

8. Wide, pan to protesters in back of church interrupt end of news conference and are escorted out of the building

Reverend Al Sharpton called for the shooting of Michael Brown to be put before a federal grand jury during a church service in Ferguson dedicated to the memory of Brown.

Sharpton, a Baptist minister and civil rights activist, said that the resignation of Officer Darren Wilson on Saturday evening did not equate to justice for Brown, an unarmed black teenager who was shot and killed by Wilson in August.

Wilson did not receive a severance package when he resigned over the weekend, the St. Louis suburb's Mayor said on Sunday.

Wilson, 28, won't receive any further pay or benefits, and he and the city have severed their ties, Mayor James Knowles told reporters a day after Wilson tendered his resignation, which was effective immediately.

Wilson, who is white, had been on administrative leave since he killed Brown, during a confrontation on the streets of Ferguson.

A grand jury decided on Monday not to indict him, sparking days of sometimes violent protests in Ferguson and other cities.

AP TELEVISION

St. Louis, Missouri - 30 November 2014

1. Pull out of Sunday church service honouring shooting victim Michael Brown

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Reverend Al Sharpton, National Action Network:

"Reporters started calling me saying that the officer had resigned from his job and said that he hopes it will lead to healing the city. But you can't heal (by) leaving the injured out of the process. The afflicted is the family that remains with open wounds and just quitting your job, or taking his job, was not the objective. It was not about Darren Wilson's job, it was about Michael Brown's justice."

3. Wide of church service

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Reverend Al Sharpton, National Action Network:

"This was not about anything but justice because we saw Michael, their son, as if it could've been ours. We are not giving up, we said from the first rally, we had the first rally Tuesday night, 72 hours after it (shooting of Michael Brown) happened. We said at the first rally we didn't trust the local grand jury, that's why we wanted a federal grand jury, that's why we still are going to fight, we aren't going to stop marching and protesting until we do."

5. Wide of church service

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Reverend Al Sharpton, National Action Network:

"We lost a round, but the fight ain't over. And you don't judge the fight on one round. Even if we get knocked down, we get up and go to the corner and come out fighting the next round. You won the first round Mr. Prosecutor, but don't cut your gloves off, because the fight's not over. Justice will come to Ferguson."

7. Wide of church service