Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon announced that "violence will not be tolerated" as Ferguson, Mo. prepares for a grand jury decision that may come sooner rather than later, according to The Washington Post.
Nixon spoke at a news conference at Missouri State Highway Patrol Troop C headquarters in St. Louis on Tuesday.
Nixon said in his statement that violence is not expected, nonetheless, police and the Missouri National Guard are preparing for the possibility of having to keep Ferguson citizens - and their businesses - safe.
The anticipation of violence comes after vandalism and looting in the area following the August shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown by Officer Darren Wilson. "That ugliness was not representative of Missouri and it cannot be repeated," Nixon said, according to CBS News.
"This is America," Nixon continued. "People have a right to express their views and grievances but they do not have the right to put their fellow citizens at risks."
The grand jury has until January to decide if they will issue an indictment against Wilson, but St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Robert McCulloch has said many times that the decision is expected by mid-November.
