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Editorial writer George Hager breaks down the workings of the Ferguson grand jury including possible charges for officer Darren Wilson, the influence of the autopsies and a summary of the case being considered.
Lenard Blair helps hang the artwork of St. Louis artist Damon Davis on plywood covering business fronts in Ferguson, Mo.(Photo: Jack Gruber, USA TODAY)
FERGUSON, MO. - School and police authorities in this community are preparing for protests that are anticipated after a grand jury decision on whether to indict officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of Michael Brown.
Some schools will close next week, while police officials have met with protest leaders to discuss rules of engagement for protests.
At a press conference Friday afternoon, St. Louis city Mayor Francis Slay, County executive Charlie Dooley and state director of the Department of Public Safety Daniel Isom said the region is prepared for protests after a decision is announced.
They said their focus is on the safety of residents, protesters and local businesses.
Ferguson Mayor Francis Slay has instructed police officers to protect protesters constitutional rights. He says police are also prepared to protect themselves, but not to intimidate the public. VPC
"We have no information that would cause us to tell people not to do anything that they would normally do, go to work or go to school," Slay said. "But if something does happen, then we are prepared to handle it."
He said police leaders have met five times with some protest leaders who have 19 rules of engagement that they wanted police to adhere to. He said police agreed to 11 of them. The rest, he said, would get in the way of officers doing their jobs.
The officials repeatedly said the meetings were not a negotiation.
Earlier, the Jennings school district told USA TODAY that schools in the district were closing Monday and Tuesday out of caution for the grand jury decision, which is expected this weekend.
Schools were already scheduled to be closed for the Thanksgiving holiday.
Parents will be notified via a phone blast and letters sent home with students Friday. Class will resume Monday, Dec. 1, KSDK reports.
"With the heightened anxiety and activity, we thought it would be better for students and staff to extend the holiday at this point," Jennings superintendent Tiffany Anderson told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. She said she wanted to give parents as much time as possible to figure out child-care arrangements next week.
The Jennings district includes the eastern edge of Ferguson. There are four school districts for Ferguson that include Hazelwood, Riverview Gardens and Ferguson-Florissant. The majority of students attend the Ferguson-Florissant district, which has not yet released any information about school closures.
The Post-Dispatch reports that school district officials from several north St. Louis County districts say law enforcement has requested they close for two days immediately after the announcement to keep buses and excess traffic off streets in the event of unrest.
STORY: Holder urges police restraint in Ferguson response
The grand jury is still in session, the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney's office said in an email sent today.
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