Michael Brown's stepdad under investigation for outburst

Police are investigating Michael Brown's stepfather for incitement regarding comments he made on the streets of Ferguson last month after being angered by a grand jury’s decision not to indict the police officer who fatally shot his unarmed stepson, a St. Louis County Police spokesman said Tuesday. The development comes as Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon announced the state’s National Guard had started to scale back its presence in St. Louis area as protests ease. 

Officials are looking into Louis Head's comments as part of a broader investigation into the arson, vandalism and looting that followed the Nov. 24 grand jury announcement, said police spokesman Brian Schellman. Twelve commercial buildings were destroyed by fire.

However, Ferguson Police spokesman Jeff Small said that department is not conducting a separate investigation of Head.

Brown, 18, who was black and unarmed, was killed Aug. 9 by Ferguson police Officer Darren Wilson, who is white. Wilson, who resigned from the Ferguson department over the weekend, had told the grand jury his life was being threatened, but some witnesses said Brown was trying to surrender. Brown's killing sparked weeks of unrest and reignited debate over race relations in America.

Video widely circulated after last week's grand jury announcement shows Brown's mother, Lesley McSpadden, on top of a car and breaking down as the decision blares over a stereo. Head, her husband, comforts her then yells angry comments, including "Burn this bitch down!"

Family attorney Benjamin Crump has called the reaction "raw emotion," but "completely inappropriate." He did not immediately return messages seeking comment Tuesday.

On Wednesday, Head apologized for his comments in a statement that was sent to media outlets by the Brown family attorney.

"I screamed out words that I shouldn’t have screamed in the heat of the moment. It was wrong and I humbly apologize to all of those who read my pain and anger as true desire for what I want for our community. It wasn’t," the statement said.  

Head has not yet been interviewed by police, and there is no timetable for when the investigation will be complete, Schellman said. He declined to discuss what specific charges Head could face. A message left with a spokesman for St. Louis County Prosecutor Bob McCulloch was not immediately returned.

Most of the violence occurred in the first two days after the announcement. Peaceful protests have continued, including one Tuesday involving students who walked out of classes from three Ferguson-area high schools.

It was their first day back in class after Thanksgiving break was extended a day due to bad weather Monday, when similar walkouts were staged across the U.S.

Meanwhile, Nixon announced Tuesday that the National Guard has completed duties in the city of St. Louis and is reducing its presence — which peaked at about 2,200 guard members — in Ferguson and elsewhere in St. Louis County but nearly 1,300 remain in the region.

Nixon said in a statement on Tuesday he remained in touch with local and state law enforcement officials, who he said the officials had agreed there would be a systematic reduction in guard operations as conditions improved.

Guard troops were initially deployed to Ferguson for a short time in August during violent protests after Brown's death. In both August and over the past week, they provided security at police and fire stations, utility substations, hospitals, shopping malls and sports stadiums.

Al Jazeera and wire services