Missouri Governor Jay Nixon declares state of emergency ahead of Ferguson grand jury decision

Missouri Governor Jay Nixon declares state of emergency ahead of Ferguson grand jury decision
(Image credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Citing the "possibility of expanded unrest," Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon (D) on Monday declared a state of emergency lasting 30 days and put state and local police on alert ahead of the looming grand jury decision in the death of Michael Brown.

In an executive order, Nixon said the move would ensure Missouri is "prepared to appropriately respond to any reaction to these announcements." A grand jury is expected to soon announce whether Officer Darren Wilson — who shot and killed Brown in early August, sparking weeks of protests — should be charged in Brown's death.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
Jon Terbush

Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.