Ferguson decision coming Monday night
The grand jury considering charges against police officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo. has reached a decision and will release it on Monday, the St. Louis County prosecutor’s office has confirmed.
Prosecutor Robert McCulloch is scheduled to announce the decision at 8:00 p.m.
CNN reported earlier in the day that the jury is considering whether Wilson should be charged with a list of crimes, from first-degree murder to involuntary manslaughter.
On Monday afternoon, officials appeared to be preparing to release the decision.
Multiple outlets reported that Brown’s family had been informed that the jury had reached its decision.
Gov. Jay Nixon (D) was scheduled to meet with members of the clergy at 4:00 p.m, according to one report. A reporter for The New York Times also posted a picture of the governor in Ferguson.
Jury members have spent weeks behind closed doors poring through evidence in the death of Brown, a black teenager who was unarmed at the time of the confrontation with Wilson on Aug. 9, 2014.
Witnesses to the attack have provided conflicting accounts, with some saying Brown was shot as he surrendered or tried to flee. Other witnesses reportedly backed Wilson’s version of events, saying Brown assaulted the officer and reached for his gun before Wilson shot him.
Ferguson, a suburb of St. Louis, and the surrounding area have been bracing for a decision for days. Activists have called for protests in the event that charges are not brought against Wilson.
After Brown was killed, violent demonstrations broke out in the city, and there were clashes between protestors and heavily armed police.
Brown’s father, Attorney General Eric Holder and President Obama in the last week have all urged those following the case to remain calm.
–This report was last updated at 6:23 p.m.
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