Ferguson Braces For Grand Jury's Decision On Michael Brown Shooting

Transcript

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

When I was in St. Louis a few days ago, it seemed like all people were talking about was whether a grand jury will indict Darren Wilson. He's the police officer who shot and killed Michael Brown, an unarmed 18-year-old African-American in the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson. An announcement from the grand jury is expected soon. And many fear violence will erupt if the officer is not indicted. St. Louis Public Radio's Emanuele Berry reports on how residents, protesters, politicians and police are preparing.

EMANUELE BERRY, BYLINE: The St. Louis region looks and feels like it's preparing for a big storm. When you drive down West Florissant Avenue in Ferguson, most of the storefronts are covered with plywood. Some municipalities are even telling residents stock up on food, gas and supplies. All of this is in preparation for a possible storm of a different kind.

CHRISTINE LAPORTA: People are on edge more than I've ever, ever seen in 21 years.

BERRY: That's Ferguson resident Christine Laporta, who says they're in limbo. She just wishes the grand jury would get it over with and make its announcement.

LAPORTA: So that we could get whatever's going to happen to happen and then move past it and move toward healing and moving forward.

BERRY: LaPorta is hoping to move past any violence.

LAPORTA: I think that there's a real perception that it's going to be a repeat of what we saw in August. And it's going to be much more widespread.

BERRY: In August, a handful of protests did turn violent. Some storefronts like Dan McMullen's, who runs Solo Insurance, were vandalized. McMullen's windows are now boarded up.

DAN MCMULLEN: I don't have anything in here to steal. What are you going to steal? You're not going to - you're going to steal my desk, I guess you're going have a hard time walking out with it. So, you know, I don't know, breaking my windows? That's - all you can do is break my windows.

BERRY: But St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley has some advice for all those here who are on edge.

CHARLIE DOOLEY: Take a deep breath, stand back and calm down.

BERRY: At a news conference this week, Dooley and St. Louis mayor Francis Slay said residents should not automatically assume that violence will break out after the grand jury decision. But as officials ask citizens to stay calm, they too are preparing for possible chaos. On Tuesday, Missouri governor Jay Nixon announced his plan to maintain order, saying violence will not be tolerated.

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GOVERNOR JAY NIXON: In the days immediately following Michael Brown's death, peaceful protests were marred by senseless acts of violence and destruction. Vandals smashed the windows of small businesses. Criminals looted and set fire to stores. That ugliness was not representative of Missouri, and it cannot be repeated.

BERRY: To help maintain peace, the Missouri State Highway patrol, the St. Louis County police and the City police are working under unified command. Nixon says the National Guard could be deployed if needed. Police say they're working with community leaders and protesters to ensure that any demonstrations remain peaceful. In a statement, Michael Brown's family has also asked that protests remain call. While police worry about possible violence from the public, some protesters are preparing for what they fear will be violence by the police.

LISA FITHIAN: I want you to move from one side of the room to the other side of the room as fast as you can or that your body is able without hitting anybody. OK? Go.

BERRY: Activist Lisa Fithian is leading a training session for demonstrators, instructing a hundred people to shuffle through a small lime green room in the back of a non-profit office, simulating chaos.

FITHIAN: OK, were there any collisions?

(LAUGHTER)

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN #1: Yes.

FITHIAN: A little bit. Now does anybody think that when this non-decision comes down that it might be a little crazy like that out there?

(LAUGHTER)

UNIDENTIFIED PEOPLE: Yeah.

BERRY: This session is just one in a series were protesters are taught to defuse tense situations and remain calm. Some are also being trained as medics. Others are learning how to monitor police activities with video cameras. Johnetta Elzie, who's helping lead the trainings, hopes that protestors will be able to demonstrate safely. But still she worries.

JOHNETTA ELZIE: If the police are anything like they were in August and September, we are going to be in trouble. They were really aggressive, incited a lot of unnecessary violence.

BERRY: It's a violence that police protesters and even residents are all preparing for, even as they hope to avoid it. For NPR News, I'm Emanuele Berry in St. Louis. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.