Reports indicate that a grand jury’s decision on whether or not to indict Officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of 18-year-old, unarmed Michael Brown is expected Monday.
Even temperatures in the 30s and 40s accompanied by snow have not prevented demonstrators from protesting what could be a negative outcome.
Approximately four months ago, the nation first heard the name “Michael Brown.” Wilson fatally shot 18-year-old Brown Aug. 9, and an autopsy by a forensic pathologist hired by the family revealed that Brown had been shot six times, with a fatal shot to the head.
The Brown shooting sparked close comparisons to the 2012 fatal shooting case of Trayvon Martin, in which civilian neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman was acquitted of murdering the unarmed Black 17-year-old.
The grand jury could charge Wilson with first-degree murder, second-degree murder, voluntary manslaughter or involuntary manslaughter. The grand jury consists of 12 members, and a vote by nine of the 12 is needed to indict. Grand jurors have had more than enough time to make a decision, so word could come any day now, along with a reaction that could be unpredictable.
Reports indicate that Wilson is in discussions to resign from the police department. While he maintains he did nothing wrong, he wants to ease tensions in the community.
Fears linger that a non-indictment could lead to scenes like the world witnessed earlier this year involving clashes between police officers and protesters. The town of Ferguson is “preparing for the worst” in the words of Mayor James Knowles, who recently made headlines after admitting that his small Missouri town does have a racial problem.
“It’s not going to be about Ferguson,” Knowles said at a press conference last week. “The threats that are out there are threats across the region. Our expectation is that demonstrations will probably break out in several places.”
Fueling the flames is Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon, who called for a state of emergency ahead of the verdict. He has been heavily criticized for lecturing would-be protesters and not police, who wrongfully attacked unarmed demonstrators in August.
Reaction was quick and critical of Nixon’s decision
“We at the NAACP find Gov. Jay Nixon’s decision to declare a state of emergency just days ahead of a grand jury decision in the shooting death of Michael Brown, an unarmed teen, both premature in its application and presumptuous to the hundreds of peaceful demonstrators who have embraced their constitutional right to protest,” said NAACP President and CEO Cornell William Brooks. “The more than 200,000 people who descended on Washington, D.C., on Aug. 28, 1963, proved that protests don’t need to be violent to be powerful.”
St. Louis Police Chief Sam Dotson said that law enforcement is prepared for an unfavored outcome in the decision.
“We’ve had three months to prepare. … Acts of violence will not be tolerated,” Dotson said in one report. “Our intelligence is good. Our tactics are good. We can protect lawful people and at the same time arrest criminals.”
One of the groups at the center of the situation is the Don’t Shoot Coalition. The group released 19 “Rules of Engagement” ahead of the decision. The rules include police giving protesters 48 hours advance notice before the grand jury decision is announced; law enforcement wearing specialized riot gear will be avoided, except as a last resort; and media, legal observers and medics will not be considered participants in protests and will be allowed to do their jobs.
And while Ferguson is preparing for the grand jury’s decision, so is the nation. Numerous groups and organizations around the country have announced plans to protest.
At a press conference Wednesday, the Rev. Al Shaprton said that members of his organization, the National Action Network, are on “high alert” and ready to demonstrate peacefully.
“I have pledged to the mother and father of Michael Brown that I will be there with them when the decision is announced,” he said. “National Action Network and I have mobilized 25 cities that will immediately be going to federal buildings to have vigils and non-violence demonstrations to call upon the federal government, who has already, through the Justice Department, said that it will investigate the Ferguson Police Department.”
