Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon (D) is prepared to deploy the state’s National Guard to Ferguson to maintain calm as a grand jury decides whether to indict a police officer in the shooting death of an unarmed black teenager.
“When we make the determination that the National Guard is necessary to provide support, I’m prepared to issue that order,” Nixon said at a press conference on Tuesday where he detailed security precautions.
{mosads}The grand jury is expected to return its decision by the end of November.
The death of teenager Michael Brown, Jr., sparked days of protests and a police crackdown that garnered national attention.
Nixon said that a coalition of law enforcement agencies had been meeting with community leaders for months to prepare for the grand jury announcement. He expressed hope that the response to the verdict would remain peaceful.
“These measures are not being taking because we are convinced that violence will occur, but because we have a responsibility to prepare for any contingency,” Nixon said.
The governor shed little light on what tactics police officer plan to use and declined to comment on operational details of the planned response.
Police in Ferguson faced criticism after using militarized gear and tear gas to quell protesters after Brown’s killing.
Asked if law enforcement intended to respond to the verdict by deploying military equipment, Nixon said officers were practicing “a true exercise in community policing,” by meeting with local leaders and clergy.
He also said that officers had received a combined “5,000 hours” of training on respecting protesters’ constitutional rights.
“People have a right to express their views and grievances, but they do not have a right to put their fellow citizens or their property at risk,” Nixon said.
The grand jury is deciding if officer Darren Wilson will be charged in connection with Brown’s death.
Jurors are considering conflicting accounts of what happened in the moments before the teenager was shot.
Some witnesses have said that Brown was fleeing or surrendering when Wilson shot him. However, reports indicate that other witnesses have given testimony that matches Wilson’s claim that Brown grabbed his gun in a struggle.
Over the summer, community members protested that Wilson had not been taken into custody or charged. As the protests unfolded, some resorted to violence or robbed local businesses. Many community leaders said those individuals were using the protests as cover for their actions — and did not live in Ferguson.