With a grand jury expected to announce this month whether or not to indict Darren Wilson, the Ferguson, Mo., police officer who fatally shot unarmed teenager Michael Brown, Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon declared a state of emergency on Monday and authorized the state's National Guard to support police in case of violence, Reuters reported.
"As part of our ongoing efforts to plan and be prepared for any contingency, it is necessary to have these resources in place in advance of any announcement of the grand jury's decision," Governor Jay Nixon said in a statement.
"Regardless of the outcomes of the federal and state criminal investigations, there is the possibility of expanded unrest," the order said. "Our citizens and businesses must be protected from violence and damage."
The order, in effect for 30 days, instructs the St. Louis County Police Department, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and the St. Louis Metro Police to work together in policing violent protests that might erupt after a decision is announced.
Additionally, the order also issues the county police, rather than police in Ferguson, to be in charge of security if unrest develops in the St. Louis suburb.
"This is America. People have the right to express views and grievances, but they do not have the right to put fellow citizens and property at risk," Nixon said last week. "Violence will not be tolerated."
Following the Aug. 9 shooting death of the 18-year-old, residents of Ferguson witnessed weeks of violent protests and are now bracing the possibility of facing more unrest, especially if the grand jury decides not to criminally charge Officer Wilson, 28, USA Today reported.
Currently the grand jury, which meets only once a week on Wednesdays, is still hearing evidence, a spokesperson for St. Louis County Prosecutor Bob McCulloch's office told News 4 on Thursday.
Over the past two days, protests have included several dozen demonstrators coming out on the streets in Clayton, Mo., where a grand jury is meeting.
"We want an indictment. The cops don't like it," the protesters chanted as they marched in freezing temperatures.
"Something about the way Mike Brown was killed started a fire in me that I can't ignore," said one of the demonstration's organizers, Dhorbua Shakur, 24.
Meanwhile, the community of Ferguson has already started planning for any possible unrest that may occur once the decision is publicly made.
Mainly, schools, businesses and law enforcement are preparing safety procedures ahead of another round of unrest, possibly worse than in August, when weeks of protests followed the shooting of 18-year-old Brown, BBC News reported.
This is the second time Nixon has ordered a state of emergency relating to Brown's shooting. Back in the summer, he had declared the status, instituted a curfew and later called in the National Guard as demonstrators overran Ferguson, according to USA Today.
