Tensions, Anxieties Prevail in Ferguson as Jury Verdict Awaited
Jurors have postponed the expected weekend ruling in the Michael Brown case in Ferguson adding to the building anxiety in the small town in Missouri. At the centre of the charges is police officer Darren Wilson, white, who allegedly shot at an unarmed Michael Brown, 18, of African American origin. The August 9 incident caused violent protests and racial tensions in the area.
The local and state governments have made all preparations to avoid any untoward incidents with even the National Guards on call but the situation is tense.
In an attempt to ease the anxiety and pressure, Michael Brown, Sr. released a video urging people to remain calm.
Speculation are rife and residents feel that the delay is deliberate.
Reggie Cunningham, a St. Louis resident, scene of the incident, said he doubted Wilson will be indicted and it seemed authorities were delaying an announcement "to spin this in the most positive way possible."
"The more that they drag this out, the angrier people are going to be," he added, reports the Associated Press.
"People feel like it's been engineered, so that the results wouldn't come out until after the election and until the weather got cold, and it would be more difficult to protest," said Susan McGraugh, supervisor of the Criminal Defense Clinic at the Saint Louis University School of Law. "It's really adding fuel to the fire."
St. Louis County Prosecutor Bob McCulloch had earlier said that he expected a grand jury decision by mid-to-late November. But that's not ultimately in his control, reports the Associated Press.
Earlier , the Democratic Governor Jay Nixon declared a state of emergency and called in the National Guard ahead of the decision from the grand jury. The St. Louis County Police Department is in charge of security in Ferguson in collaboration with St. Louis city police and the Missouri Highway Patrol.
President Obama and others have also issued statements asking for calm once the grand jury finding is announced.
