Gov. Nixon calls for calm ahead of Ferguson grand jury announcement

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon urged calm Monday night shortly before the expected announcement of a grand jury's decision on whether to indict Darren Wilson, a white Ferguson police officer who shot and killed unarmed black teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri in August.

Nixon had previously put the National Guard on call to intervene in Ferguson if deemed necessary. Speaking at a Monday evening press conference at the University of Missouri in St. Louis, Nixon said the National Guard would be present in a support capacity, "for example, providing utility substation security."

"Our shared hope and expectation is that regardless of the decision, people on all sides will show tolerance, mutual respect, and restraint," said Nixon. In anticipation of local protests, Nixon said the state had developed a plan to "protect lives, protect property, and protect free speech."

The announcement comes more than three months after officer Wilson killed Brown, 18, during a confrontation in the St. Louis suburb, setting off a series of protests and a national conversation about policing and race relations.

Benjamin Crump, the Brown family's attorney, said Monday the Browns were informed that a verdict had been reached. The decision comes amid frenzied speculation and building tension in and around the town of Ferguson.

In advance of the grand jury announcement, President Barack Obama urged those wishing to demonstrate in the days to come to “do so peacefully,” a White House spokesman said.

The National Action Network, a group founded by veteran New York-based rights activist Al Sharpton, said demonstrations would occur regardless of what the grand jury decides, with protesters calling for federal charges against Wilson if he does not face state charges.

If the grand jury chooses not to indict, then St. Louis County prosecutor Bob McCulloch has said that he will release documents related to the jury's deliberations. His office had previously filed a motion for an opinion on whether it had permission to release the documents, but a representative said Monday that the office had determined it could move ahead without a court order.

The Aug. 9 shooting of the unarmed Brown by Wilson sparked weeks of protests, and the St. Louis region has been bracing for renewed unrest ahead of the grand jury decision. 

For weeks, tensions have been fueled by leaks suggesting that the grand jury, which has been meeting since Aug. 20, had already made a decision on the shooting. Earlier this month, McCulloch called those leaks "rank speculation" and said the grand jury was continuing to hear evidence.

Barricades were set up in the vicinity of the building where the grand jury was meeting. Preparing for community and possible police reactions to the verdict, more than 15 area churches announced they would offer 24-hour sanctuary for any protesters or congregation members.

The Ferguson-Florissant School District will be closed for at least one day due to "the anticipated increase in traffic and possible demonstrations in our area as a result of the pending Grand Jury announcement this evening," according to a post on the district's Facebook page. Other area schools had earlier announced closures Monday and Tuesday, adding to the existing Thanksgiving break.

Anticipating renewed clashes on the streets, Nixon warned on Nov. 11 that police would work to protect peaceful protesters after the grand jury's verdict was announced — but he warned that those who crossed the line into violence would face unspecified consequences. 

The unrest after the shooting included looting and rioting, and many businesses along Ferguson's West Florissant Avenue, the site of major protests in August, still have boards covering their windows. On Monday, the block was calm ahead of the verdict being announced, with the exception of normal traffic.

"That ugliness was not representative of Missouri, and it cannot be repeated," Nixon said. 

Local police drew nationwide criticism during the first days of mostly peaceful protests just after Brown's death, when officers donned riot gear and patrolled in armored vehicles, raising concerns about increasing police militarization under a federal program that supplies surplus military equipment to police departments. 

A small number of protesters attacked squad cars, tossed gasoline bombs at officers and, in a few cases, fired guns in the direction of police, who responded with tear gas, smoke canisters and rubber bullets. On many nights, dozens were arrested.

Responding to the occasional acts of violence, Brown’s family said through their lawyers that while they agreed with the governor that “such acts cannot be tolerated,” they also demanded that police be held accountable for their actions. 

“We feel it is equally important to implore law enforcement to exercise reasonable restraint when dealing with demonstrators. There have been too many reports of excessive behavior and agitation by police officers, which have resulted in the outbursts of the kind that the governor described by otherwise peaceful demonstrators,” Brown attorney Anthony Gray said last week. 

St. Louis County police initially handled security when the protests broke out after the shooting, but criticism of their tactics prompted Nixon to put Highway Patrol Capt. Ron Johnson in charge. Police leaders said this was necessary to protect officers, protesters and the public. 

This time around, officers have undergone a combined 5,000 hours of training, and police leaders have reached out to civil rights and protest groups to urge cooperation. The National Guard will be available if needed, and a unified command of state and St. Louis city and county police will provide security for any protests. The FBI announced on Nov. 21 that it sent 100 of its agents to the St. Louis area to help with any potential unrest. 

But some organizers have been expecting a heavy-handed police response to any protests after the grand jury announcement. 

Ashley Yates of St. Louis, a co-founder of the group Millennial Activists United, noted that the vast majority of protests have been peaceful and said Nixon should focus on addressing the systemic problems faced by minority communities — "not reactionary policing techniques." 

Organizers of her group and other protesters gathered last Tuesday for training, which includes how to take notes and shoot video of police actions on the streets. "There is a significant effort to make sure that people's rights are protected and that there's no violence on either side," said Andy Stepanian, a spokesman for several protest groups. 

Al Jazeera and wire services