Officer Darren Wilson Speaks Out on Ferguson Shooting for the Very First Time: ‘All I Wanted to Do Is Live’

Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson has broken his silence and is speaking out about the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown for the very first time. In a captivating interview with ABC News, Wilson explained how he feared for his life as Brown allegedly assaulted him.

A grand jury decided against indicting Wilson in connection to Brown’s death, a decision that resulted in violent protests in Ferguson on Monday night.

Wilson said it all started when he saw Brown a friend walking in the middle of the street and asked them to get out of the road. When they refused, Wilson said he tried to exit his vehicle, but Brown slammed his door shut.

“As I look back at him, all of a sudden punches start flying,” the officer told ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos. “He threw the first one and it hit me in the upside of my face.”

St. Louis County Prosecutor's Office

He also said claims made by so-called eyewitnesses that he tried to drag Brown into his car through the window are not true. Doing so, he explained would be “against any training ever taught to law enforcement.”

Following a barrage of punches, Wilson claimed he tried to grab Brown and he immediately felt the physical power that the suspect possessed. He said it felt like he grabbed ahold of "Hulk Hogan."

“He was very large,” Wilson said. “Very powerful man. … I didn't know if I'd be able to withstand another hit like that.”

Wilson said he warned Brown that he would shoot him and pulled out his firearm. Rather than retreat, the officer claimed Brown said he was “too much of a p***y” to shoot him and attempted to grab the gun.

“While he’s doing that, I can feel his hand trying to come over my hand and get inside the trigger guard and try to shoot me with my own gun,” he added.

The first two times Wilson pulled the trigger, the gun allegedly failed to fire because Brown’s hand on the gun was jamming it. Wilson said it wasn’t until he pulled the trigger for a third time that it actually fired.

Wilson said it was the first time he had ever fired his service weapon.

"All I wanted to do was live," Wilson said.

Watch the interview via ABC below:

More ABC US news | ABC World News.

When Brown exited his police vehicle, Wilson said he went after him.

“Why not stay in the car? He’s running away,” Stephanopoulos asked.

“It is not my job to just sit and wait,” he responded, adding that it was his “duty” to chase the suspect.

Wilson said Brown ultimately stopped and turned around. His right hand went into his waistband and his left hand was making a fist by his side, according to the officer. Seconds later, Wilson claimed Brown started charging him.

Wilson also said there is “no way” that Brown turned and put his hands up in surrender as some witnesses alleged.

At that point, Wilson said he gave himself a "mental check" and asked, "Can I [legally] shoot this guy?" The answer he gave to himself was, "I have to -- If I don't, he will kill me if he gets to me."

ABC News

The officer said Wilson continued to run towards him even after he fired the first series of shots. He said he paused and gave him an “opportunity” to stop, but he ignored the warning and “kept running.” Wilson then fired another series of shots, but once again it didn’t stop Brown, according to Wilson.

“He gets to about eight to 10 feet, and as he does that he kind of starts to lean forward like he’s going to tackle me,” Wilson explained. “And I look down the barrel of my gun and I fired, and what I saw was his head and that’s where it went.”

When Stephanopoulos pressed Wilson on the race aspect of the shooting, the officer said there is nothing he should have done differently and he would have reacted the same exact way if the suspect was white.

"No question," he said.