A grand jury has reached a decision regarding whether or not to indict Ferguson, Missouri police officer Darren Wilson over the fatal shooting of unarmed teenager Michael Brown, according to the Washington Post.
The Post reported on Monday afternoon that the grand jury has finally reached a decision after spending weeks receiving testimony and evidence concerning the August shooting death of Brown, 18.
The decision itself has not yet been announced, but could be made public as early as Monday afternoon.
Depending on the grand jury’s findings, Wilson, 28, could face charges ranging from manslaughter to first-degree murder. At least nine of the twelve jurors must return an indictment in order for the Ferguson police officer to be charged.
Wilson fired six shots at Brown on August 9 in Ferguson, a small town of around 21,000 outside of St. Louis. The absence of charges filed in the initial aftermath and the handling of the situation by local police enforcement quickly propelled the story into the national spotlight, with protests in Ferguson and elsewhere waging a series of demonstrations in recent months.
Last week, United States Attorney General Eric Holder called for peace from both protesters and police officers ahead of what could likely become a new wave of mass demonstrations. Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon had already declared a state of emergency and activated the National Guard in anticipation for any such unrest. In response to Monday's news, a spokesperson for the White House said President Barack Obama urges all potential protesters to demonstrate peacefully.
Other deadly altercations involving law enforcement officers and unarmed civilians have since garnered national attention on the heels of the August shooting death of Brown. Last week, an unarmed man considered by officials to be completely “innocent” was shot to death in a dark hallway by a New York Police Department officer; on Saturday, police in Cleveland, Ohio shot a 12-year-old boy holding a nonlethal airsoft gun, killing him.
A press conference is currently scheduled for late Monday, although it’s unclear when, exactly, the jury’s decision will be made public.
The Post reported on Monday afternoon that the grand jury has finally reached a decision after spending weeks receiving testimony and evidence concerning the August shooting death of Brown, 18.
The decision itself has not yet been announced, but could be made public as early as Monday afternoon.
Depending on the grand jury’s findings, Wilson, 28, could face charges ranging from manslaughter to first-degree murder. At least nine of the twelve jurors must return an indictment in order for the Ferguson police officer to be charged.
Wilson fired six shots at Brown on August 9 in Ferguson, a small town of around 21,000 outside of St. Louis. The absence of charges filed in the initial aftermath and the handling of the situation by local police enforcement quickly propelled the story into the national spotlight, with protests in Ferguson and elsewhere waging a series of demonstrations in recent months.
Last week, United States Attorney General Eric Holder called for peace from both protesters and police officers ahead of what could likely become a new wave of mass demonstrations. Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon had already declared a state of emergency and activated the National Guard in anticipation for any such unrest. In response to Monday's news, a spokesperson for the White House said President Barack Obama urges all potential protesters to demonstrate peacefully.
Other deadly altercations involving law enforcement officers and unarmed civilians have since garnered national attention on the heels of the August shooting death of Brown. Last week, an unarmed man considered by officials to be completely “innocent” was shot to death in a dark hallway by a New York Police Department officer; on Saturday, police in Cleveland, Ohio shot a 12-year-old boy holding a nonlethal airsoft gun, killing him.
A press conference is currently scheduled for late Monday, although it’s unclear when, exactly, the jury’s decision will be made public.