Credit: Reuters/Shannon Stapleton
A sign is seen in the front yard of a home in Ferguson, Missouri October 14, 2014.
The shooting sparked weeks of racial unrest and ongoing demonstrations, and some groups have threatened widespread protests if Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson is not charged with a crime for shooting 18-year-old Michael Brown to death.
Ed Magee, spokesman for the St. Louis County Prosecutor's Office, said on Monday a grand jury announcement was not expected until mid- or late November. There is widespread expectation the grand jury will not indict Wilson.
Some businesses have boarded up windows and made contingency plans for how to protect themselves and their property if protest ignite into violence and destruction.
Shortly after Wilson killed Brown on Aug. 9, there was looting and vandalism of Ferguson businesses, as protesters clashed with police. The protests over Brown's death have since been mostly peaceful as the grand jury decision is awaited.
Tory Russell, one of the founders of the Hands Up United group that has been protesting Brown's death, said the group had been hoping to negotiate terms of engagement with law enforcement authorities that might help keep protests peaceful but that such talks had gone nowhere.
'I told them if there is no indictment, please only come through neighborhoods when called. Please do not continue to traumatize our community,' said Russell. But 'they don't want to meet with the youth. I honestly believe they are planning to kill us in the streets.'
Dee Butler, office manager of an area chiropractor's office, said her business was planning to pack up patient records and take them home on Friday, which is the day many think a grand jury decision could be announced.
'We are hoping it's not going to be as bad as people say it's going to be. It looks like there will be protests, but we don't expect violence,' she said.
Missouri Governor Jay Nixon briefed President Barack Obama on Friday on the situation in Ferguson.
Obama also received a briefing from the Department of Justice on its efforts to assist state and local government, the White House said.
(Reporting by Carey Gillam in Kansas City, Mo.; Additional reporting by Kenny Bahr in Kirkwood, Mo.; Writing by Fiona Ortiz and Carey Gillam; Editing by Peter Cooney)
Entities 0 Name: Ferguson Count: 4 1 Name: Brown Count: 3 2 Name: Wilson Count: 2 3 Name: Russell Count: 2 4 Name: Carey Gillam Count: 2 5 Name: Mo. Count: 2 6 Name: White House Count: 1 7 Name: Kenny Bahr Count: 1 8 Name: United Count: 1 9 Name: Jay Nixon Count: 1 10 Name: Fiona Ortiz Count: 1 11 Name: Kirkwood Count: 1 12 Name: Obama Count: 1 13 Name: Department of Justice Count: 1 14 Name: Reuters\/Shannon Stapleton A Count: 1 15 Name: Kansas City Count: 1 16 Name: Darren Wilson Count: 1 17 Name: Barack Obama Count: 1 18 Name: Missouri Count: 1 19 Name: Ed Magee Count: 1 20 Name: Michael Brown Count: 1 21 Name: St. Louis County Prosecutor 's Office Count: 1 22 Name: Dee Butler Count: 1 23 Name: Peter Cooney Count: 1 Related 0 Url: http://ift.tt/1uVjtEj Title: Ferguson Cops Expect Riots Whether Grand Jury Indicts or Not: "Preparing For All Worst-Case Scenarios" Description: USA Today is pointing out the obvious - that anxiety over the grand jury's yet-to-be released decision over the Ferguson shooting of Michael Brown is growing. A response is mounting to the potentially explosive news: No matter what a grand jury decides in the case of a white Ferguson police officer who shot and killed an unarmed black teenager, people will take to the streets, whether in anger or celebration.
