A grand jury decided Monday not to indict police officer Darren Wilson for killing unarmed teenager Michael Brown.
The decision by the St. Louis County grand jury came months after the Aug. 9 shooting, in which the Ferguson police officer shot and killed the 18-year-old African-American. Wilson maintains that he acted in self-defense.
The shooting sparked weeks of protests in Ferguson and the surrounding St. Louis area, with protests expected following the news of no indictment.
Reps. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Mo., and William Clay, D-Mo., warned in an op-ed earlier this month that a grand jury decision to clear Wilson would “only further convince African-Americans that they are still powerless victims of perpetual police misconduct and fair game for judicial mischief.”
“Many in Ferguson will no doubt express their pain and angst publicly,” they wrote. “They will raise their hands saying, hands up, don’t shoot. They will raise their voices. They will chant. They will preach. They will cry. Local law enforcement and leaders must not respond to anger with calls for silence, but with acknowledgement and empathy.”
Michael Brown’s family called Monday for silence lasting four and a half minutes to honor their son before protests following the decision. Brown was left on the street for approximately four and a half hours after being shot. “We are not here to be violent. We are here in memory of our son. We are here for protection of all children. We are here to support justice and equality for all people,” the family said in a statement.
Missouri officials are preparing for fallout from the grand jury’s decision.
“We’re prepared for any decision that comes down,” Missouri Public Safety Director Daniel Isom said on CNN Monday.
The FBI has sent about 100 additional agents to the St. Louis area in preparation for the grand jury decision, ABC News reported Friday.
Wilson has reportedly been negotiating his resignation with the Ferguson police department in the weeks leading up to the grand jury decision. He has also been meeting with network anchors, who are trying to land his first television interview.
Federal, state and local officials have been urging the public to keep calm in preparation for the decision.
Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon reiterated at a press conference last week that violence and unrest “cannot be repeated” as it has over the past few weeks. Bracing for a decision, Nixon also declared a State of Emergency in Missouri, activating the National Guard to prepare for riots and protests.
In a video address Thursday, Brown’s father urged the demonstrators to be peaceful. “No matter what the grand jury decides, I do not want my son’s death to be in vain. I want it to lead to incredible change, positive change, change that makes the St. Louis region better for everyone,” he said in the video, uploaded by St. Louis Forward.
Attorney General Eric Holder released a video Friday reminding potential demonstrators that “history shows that most successful movements adhere to nonviolence.”
President Obama said Friday that “using any event as an excuse for violence is contrary to rule of law” and Ferguson must “keep protests peaceful.”
The grand jury decision is not expected to affect the two ongoing Justice Department investigations in Ferguson; one a civil rights investigation, and the other into the policing practices of the Ferguson Police Department.
