Schools In St. Louis To Get Advanced Word On Ferguson Grand Jury Decision
As the nation waits for a grand jury to decide if Ferguson Police officer Darren Wilson will face charges in the shooting and killing of Michael Brown, schools in nearby St. Louis have begun preparing for a worst case scenario. And, as USA Today reports, the Hazelwood school district will get advance notice of the decision to ensure the safety of students and faculty, as the decision is feared to begin new rounds of rioting, looting, and violence in the area.
KRCG TV reports that if the decision comes during the week when school is in session, St. Louis-area schools will get a three-hour notice of the decision. If it comes on a weekend, they will get 24 hours of notice. The warning is meant to give officials enough time to transport children to their homes and to secure the campuses against the threat of property destruction and violence. Grayling Tobias, the superintendent of the St. Louis school district, explained the measures in a statement.
“The transportation department has reviewed bus routes and will re-route buses for students who are displaced. Our security officers and law enforcement partners will provide additional security at our school campuses. Outsiders will be removed if they appear on our campuses.”
Ferguson, Missouri — a suburb of St. Louis — erupted in violence this past summer when Ferguson PD officer Darren Wilson shot and killed unarmed 18-year-old Michael Brown as he was allegedly trying to surrender. Wilson and the Ferguson PD have claimed that Brown attacked Wilson and tried to take his gun. Eyewitnesses report that Brown tried to flee, and when he stopped and raised his hands to give himself up, Officer Wilson opened fire, killing the young man. Last month, Michael Brown’s autopsy results showed that there had been a struggle, but it also showed multiple — if not excessive — gun shot wounds to Brown’s back and head, indicating the teen was shot from behind.
The incident enraged the minority community of Ferguson, and what started as angry protests quickly devolved into outright civil chaos as protestors looted nearby stores, fired guns at police officers, and set fire to stores and gas stations. As the violence escalated, the Ferguson PD was eventually replaced by the National Guard and a fragile peace was restored. Officials in St. Louis fear the same thing will happen again, and are taking whatever precautions they can to ensure the safety of student and faculty.
Town, city, and state officials are all working to ensure that peace and the safety of citizens is kept, regardless of what the grand jury decides. As previously reported in the Inquisitr, the Mayor of Ferguson hopes that his constituents can remain calm and the peace can be upheld. The state of Missouri is on an elevated state of preparation, as ordered by the governor. With St. Louis school districts now rolling out safety plans, the nation can only watch and wait for the grad jury’s decision.
What do you think will happen in Ferguson and St. Louis when the decision is revealed? Is the government doing enough to protect the citizens and businesses? Are you alarmed that St. Louis schools are taking steps to protect students and faculty? Sound off in the comments below.
[Image courtesy of St. Louis Today]
