Ferguson grand jury not meeting over weekend - ABC News
WEST ADAMS, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A grand jury is not meeting over the weekend and will reconvene on Monday, multiple sources told ABC News.
The 12-member grand jury is deciding whether to indict the police officer who killed unarmed teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.
Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson killed Brown, 18, during a violent confrontation on Aug. 9. The white officer's killing of the unarmed black teen led to protests in the St. Louis suburb, some of which turned violent.
Law enforcement officials across the country are bracing for any possible reaction to the grand jury's decision.
Los Angeles Police Department Chief Charlie Beck said the LAPD is more than ready for any kind of scenario. He said he hopes protesters will remain calm and not become violent. If violence erupts, Beck said there will be extra patrols on hand.
"We will facilitate lawful demonstrations, but we will not and cannot condone violence or vandalism," Beck said in a statement.
VIDEO: LA church calls for peace service after pending Ferguson decision
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Some Angelenos said they wouldn't be surprised if protests escalated to violence.
"You can feel the tension in the air everywhere you go. I wish that nothing happens, but whatever is to happen is going to happen, we cannot stop it," said Tyrone Augustine of the Crenshaw district.
Civil rights activist Pedro Baez said he hopes that even if people do get angry, they won't turn to violence to get their point across.
Meantime, the First AME Church in West Adams is calling for a meeting once the grand jury reaches its decision. Church leaders said they plan to hold the meeting an hour following announcement, which could happen at any time.
On the federal level, the FBI has sent nearly 100 additional agents to Ferguson, hoping to avoid the troubles they saw this summer. Friday night, federal agents arrested two members of the New Black Panthers for lying on documents to buy guns and explosives ahead of the grand jury decision.
Also on Friday, authorities arrested three protesters in Ferguson on charges of unlawful assembly after not heeding repeated police requests to move out of the street.
St. Louis County police said large groups of protesters blocked traffic three times - twice near the police station and once on West Florissant Avenue, the site of violent protests soon after Brown's death.
Michael Brown's father is calling for peace, saying he doesn't want his son's death to be in vain.
Wilson, 28, reportedly told the grand jury that he feared for his life 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.
St. Louis County Prosecutor Bob McCulloch has said the grand jury decision will be announced this month. His spokesman, Ed Magee, told reporters at around noon on Friday that the grand jury was still in session. He said the time, date and place for a news conference announcing the decision has not been decided.
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.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
