The Governor of Missouri, Jay Nixon, has declared a state of emergency on Monday in preparation for unrest which will likely follow the announcement from a grand jury as to whether Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson will be charged in the shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Brown back in August.
An FBI bulletin also warned of possible attacks against police and other officials:
“The FBI assesses those infiltrating and exploiting otherwise legitimate public demonstrations with the intent to incite and engage in violence could be armed with bladed weapons or firearms, equipped with tactical gear/gas masks, or bulletproof vests to mitigate law enforcement measures,” the bulletin concluded.
The expectation is that the grand jury will likely make it’s announcement toward the end of this week, or possibly over the weekend.
Businesses have taken steps to protect their locations and property such as boarding up windows, while citizens have been taking steps to protect themselves if when SHTF. Record gun sales in the area show that many are taking the threats seriously and are ready and willing to defend themselves.
Local firearm retailers have been reporting record sales. One retailer said that during a normal week, they would see 30-40 firearm sales. Compare that to last week which saw over 250. The reason given for every sale; the unrest in Ferguson.
Over the weekend, members of the KKK issued flyers that warned of “lethal force” against any protesters, which certainly isn’t helping the situation.
With the emergency declaration, the Governor has access to the National Guard and will deploy them as necessary. The worst part; violent protests are expected regardless of the grand jury decision. In other words, if they decide not to indict Officer Wilson, there will be riots. If they instead decide to indict him, there will still be riots.
