When Will Ferguson Grand Jury Make Its Decision? Indictment Still Unlikely

The grand jury in the Ferguson shooting case will not make a decision on the indictment of Darren Wilson this weekend. The delay will keep residents on edge through Sunday, as many fear that a failure to indict will cause wide-spread riots.

Many anticipated the Ferguson grand jury would make their decision on the weekend, which then turned into Sunday. Now, the group is taking more time, and Monday will be the earliest a decision is rendered.

According to the Associated Press, the St. Louis civic group, Downtown STL, which promotes Ferguson businesses, sent out an email saying that the grand jury is out for the weekend, and will resume deliberations on the indictment on Monday.

The AP reported that it was not sure how the group obtained the information, but it might be a relief for some.

Supporters of the shooting victim, Michael Brown, increasingly fear that indictment is out of reach as the investigation goes on. There have been leaked court documents that say Michael Brown first attacked Darren Wilson, and even struggled to get the officer’s gun. Likewise, testimony has come out affirming that Brown attacked, refuting previous eye-witnesses who said Brown had his hands in the air.

As a result, crews have already been putting up barricades around the city. Buzz Westfall Justice Center in Clayton, where the grand jury is making its indictment decision, is now well-defended, as well as the shopping center parking lot on West Florissant Avenue in Ferguson, where police are setting up their own temporary headquarters.

Ferguson’s small businesses have also been boarding up windows.

Although most of the protests have been peaceful, some have become violent, and there’s reason to believe that future demonstrations could be even more confrontational.

As previously reported by the Inquisitr, the Ku Klux Klan threatened to use “lethal force” against protesters after the indictment decision. That intimidation didn’t go unanswered. The hacktavist group Anonymous replied by revealing the identities of Ferguson-area KKK members to the public.

Now, the KKK has extended their threats to anyone wearing the distinctive Anonymous Guy Fawkes mask in large-scale demonstrations around Ferguson.

So, in addition to clashes between police and frustrated protesters fighting for indictment, the KKK and other right-wing hate groups might step in to escalate any potential violence.

On the state and national level, the government has been trying to prevent any bloodshed or property damage early. According to CNN, President Obama called on the people to stay calm, and keep demonstrations peaceful.

“This is a country that allows everybody to express their views. Allows them to peacefully assemble, to protest actions that they think are unjust. But using any event as an excuse for violence is contrary to rule of law and contrary to who we are.”

The president is joined by the victim’s parents in asking for peace in Ferguson regardless of the pending announcement. As NBC News reported, Missouri governor Jay Nixon took a more assertive approach to securing peace and preemptively issued a state of emergency.

Still, the fact that the Ferguson grand jury has not yet made a indictment decision, may mean it could still go either way, and all the preparation will be for nothing.

[Image Credit: Loavesofbread/Wikimedia Commons]