Reports: Ferguson grand jury to reconvene on Monday, no decision yet

USPA News - A grand jury deciding whether to indict a Ferguson police officer in the fatal shooting of an unarmed black teenager earlier this year will not reconvene before Monday, U.S. networks reported on Saturday, despite earlier indications that an announcement was expected this weekend. Law enforcement sources quoted by CNN, NBC News and ABC News said the grand jury plans to reconvene on Monday after it failed to reach a decision on Friday, which is when deliberations started after the jury heard from one final witness.

Previous reports had indicated that a decision whether to indict police officer Darren Wilson was imminent, but court officials have provided few details about the progress. Ed Magee, a spokesman for the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney`s office, did not immediately return a request for comment asking when the grand jury would reconvene. Public safety units, including police and fire, have eased back their alert status after learning that an announcement was no longer imminent, NBC News reported. Prosecutors are expected to provide law enforcement with 48 hours` notice before making a public announcement, which means the decision will not be known before Wednesday if the grand jury does not reconvene over the weekend. Missouri Governor Jay Nixon declared a state of emergency earlier this week and deployed the Missouri National Guard to Ferguson following reports that some groups may want to cause unrest if Wilson is not indicted. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has also warned that the decision could lead to unrest elsewhere in the country. President Barack Obama, speaking in an interview with ABC News on Friday, has called on protesters to keep protests peaceful. "This is a country that allows everybody to express their views, allows them to peacefully assemble to protest actions that they think are unjust, but using any event as an excuse for violence is contrary to rule of law and contrary to who we are," he said. The city of Ferguson was the scene of days of rioting, often at night, after white police officer Darren Wilson shot and killed Michael Brown, an 18-year-old unarmed African-American teenager, on August 9. The shooting led to a nationwide debate on race relations and protests in Ferguson, which has a two-third African American majority among citizens but has a majority of white police and politicians.