Ferguson police stock up on $172k of riot gear ahead of grand jury decision

Police in Ferguson, Missouri, are stocking up on additional riot gear in anticipation of riots should the grand jury fail to indict Darren Wilson, the white officer who killed unarmed black teenager Michael Brown in August.

The St. Louis County Police Department, which was roundly criticized for its militarized response to protests in the wake of Brown's death, has so far spent more than $172,000 on new equipment. Purchases include "'sting grenades, which shoot out dozens of rubber bullets and a powdered chemical agent upon detonation" and "6,000 pepper balls, paintball-style projectiles that explode with a chemical irritant when they strike a protester."

"It's going to be a war because they're not going to indict him," said one Ferguson protester earlier this month.

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