The governor of the U.S. state of Missouri has declared a state of emergency before a grand jury decision about whether a white police officer will be charged in the fatal shooting of a black teenager.
Governor Jay Nixon said the order would activate the National Guard to assist state and local police in case of violence in the town of Ferguson, a St. Louis suburb, when the grand jury's decision is announced.
Missouri officials have not given a date when the decision will be revealed, other than that it likely will be this month.
Violence erupted immediately after the August shooting of Michael Brown, an unarmed 18-year-old, by Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson.
Protesters await report
Demonstrators gathered Monday in Clayton, Missouri, in anticipation of the grand jury's report.
The grand jury's decision whether or not to indict Wilson has the potential to inspire public outbursts, either way. But officials are particularly concerned that no indictment could trigger violence.
Businesses on the Ferguson street that saw the heaviest rioting following the shooting have boarded up their windows.
