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Calm
urged as
Ferguson
grand
jury
nears
decision
By ALEX
SANZ and
JIM
SALTER
Associated
Press
FERGUSON,
Mo. (AP)
--
Activists,
authorities
and the
family
of
Michael
Brown
called
for calm
as a
grand
jury
drew
closer
to an
announcement
in the
Ferguson
police
shooting.
But it
was
unclear
whether
the
panel
was
still at
work or
when it
would
render a
decision.
Earlier
Friday,
a
spokesman
for St.
Louis
County
Prosecutor
Bob
McCulloch
told
reporters
that the
grand
jury
weighing
whether
to
indict
officer
Darren
Wilson
was
still in
session.
Five
hours
later,
Ed Magee
declined
to say
whether
the
panel
was
still
meeting.
The
time,
date and
place
for a
news
conference
announcing
the
decision
has not
been
decided,
Magee
said.
Wilson,
28,
reportedly
told the
grand
jury
that he
feared
for his
life on
Aug. 9
as
Brown,
who was
6-foot-4
and
nearly
300
pounds,
came at
him.
Some
witnesses
said
Brown
was
trying
to
surrender
and had
his
hands
up.
The
shooting
of an
unarmed
black
18-year-old
by a
white
police
officer
led to
protests,
some of
which
turned
violent.
Demonstrations
have
continued
for more
than
three
months,
though
the
number
of
protesters
has
dwindled
and
violence
has
become
uncommon.
There
were
signs of
rising
tension.
Protesters
were
arrested
Thursday
outside
Ferguson
police
headquarters
for the
second
night in
a row
after
around
40
demonstrators
blocked
South
Florissant
Road.
One of
the
three
people
arrested
pushed
an
officer
and was
hit with
pepper
spray,
according
to St.
Louis
County
Police
spokesman
Brian
Schellman.
Calls
for
peace
and
restraint
emanated
from
several
quarters,
including
President
Barack
Obama,
Attorney
General
Eric
Holder
and
civil-rights
leaders
and
business
owners.
The most
emotional
appeal
came
from
Brown's
father,
Michael
Brown
Sr.
"Hurting
others
or
destroying
property
is not
the
answer,"
Brown
said in
the
video
released
by the
group
STL
Forward.
"No
matter
what the
grand
jury
decides,
I don't
want my
son's
death to
be in
vain. I
want it
to lead
to
incredible
change,
positive
change,
change
that
makes
the St.
Louis
region
better
for
everyone."
Holder
issued a
general
reminder
to
police
to
prepare
for
demonstrations
and to
"minimize
needless
confrontation."
His
video
message
did not
explicitly
mention
Ferguson,
but it
did
reference
demonstrations
over the
past few
months
that
have
"sought
to bring
attention
to real
and
significant
underlying
issues
involving
police
practices."
"I know
from
firsthand
experience
that
demonstrations
like
these
have the
potential
to spark
a
sustained
and
positive
national
dialogue,
to
provide
momentum
to a
necessary
conversation
and to
bring
about
critical
reform,"
Holder
said in
the
video.
"But
history
has also
shown us
that the
most
successful
and
enduring
movements
for
change
are
those
that
adhere
to
nonaggression
and
nonviolence,"
he
added.
Eddie
Hassaun
of the
civil
rights
group
Justice
Disciples
urged
protesters
not to
be
confrontational
and for
police
to
follow
suit.
"We're
looking
for the
action
on the
other
side to
be
equally
as
committed
to peace
in the
streets
and
peace
for the
demonstrators,"
Hassaun
said.
City,
county
and
state
leaders
on
Friday
announced
a "rules
of
engagement"
agreement
between
police
and
roughly
50
protest
groups.
The pact
is aimed
at
preventing
violence
on both
sides.
Obama
also
urged
Ferguson
to keep
the
protests
peaceful,
saying
all
Americans
have the
right to
peacefully
assemble
to speak
against
actions
they
regard
as
unjust.
But, he
said,
using
any
event as
an
excuse
for
violence
is
contrary
to the
rule of
law.
The
president
commented
in an
interview
with ABC
News
scheduled
to air
Sunday.
The
network
released
his
comment
about
Ferguson
on
Friday
night.
The
civil
rights
organization
Advancement
Project
said
more
than 70
protest
actions
are
scheduled
around
the
country,
including
occupying
government
space in
Washington
and a
gathering
at
police
headquarters
in
Chicago.
Concern
about
the
aftermath
of the
announcement
prompted
one
school
district
to call
off
classes
for
Monday
and
Tuesday.
The
Jennings
district
includes
some
students
who live
in
Ferguson.
It had
previously
planned
to close
for
Thanksgiving
starting
Wednesday.
Antonio
Henley,
owner of
Prime
Time
Beauty
and
Barber
Shop in
Ferguson,
said
concern
about
the
pending
announcement
is
hurting
business.
"It's
been
rough,
especially
these
past few
weeks
leading
up to
the
decision,"
Henley
said.
"Our
business
has been
cut in
half
because
the
people
in the
community
are
afraid
to come
around."
The FBI
has sent
nearly
100
additional
agents
to
Ferguson
to help
law
enforcement
agencies,
according
to a
U.S.
official
who
spoke on
condition
of
anonymity
because
the
official
was not
authorized
to
discuss
the FBI
plans.
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