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St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay says police officers in the region are prepared to handle protestors but that excessive force by police will not be tolerated. VPC
On Nov. 21, 2014, demonstrators protesting the shooting death of Michael Brown walk near the spot where he was shot/(Photo: Scott Olson, Getty Images)
A grand jury decision on whether to charge Officer Darren Wilson with the shooting of Michael Brown is expected to come within the next few days, but as of early Saturday, it remained unclear whether the panel was still at work or when the outcome would be announced.
A spokesman for St. Louis County Prosecutor Bob McCulloch declined to say whether the panel was still meeting, five hours after the prosecutor told reporters on Friday that jurors were reviewing evidence.
No details are available on when the decision will be announced, the spokesman said.
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Wilson reportedly told the grand jury that he feared for his life when he shot Brown on Aug. 9.
Police say Brown struggled with Wilson inside a police car and reached for Wilson's weapon. Some witnesses and Brown's family contend that Brown had raised his hands in surrender when Wilson killed him.
The aftermath of Brown's death has amounted to unrest in the St. Louis suburb.
Ahead of the grand jury's decision, protest organizers and police officials have worked together on rules of engagement to prevent violence.
"We have been criticized, by some, for sitting down with the protest leaders," St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay said. "The protest leaders have been criticized for sitting down with us. We did so because in similar situations in other cities, things end up very, very badly. We do not want that for our city or our region."
Additionally, some schools have opted to close next week. The Jennings school district plans to close schools on Monday and Tuesday as a precaution, school officials told USA TODAY on Friday. Students were already scheduled to be off on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday for Thanksgiving.
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Contributing: The Associated Press, KSDK-TV, St. Louis
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