On August 9th 2014, many remember the now infamous shooting of Michael Brown, an unarmed 18 year old boy who was fatally shot six times after a struggle with police officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Missouri. The shooting sparked immediate outrage as witnesses claimed that Brown had his hands raised upon being shot, a sign of surrender. Others claim that Darren Wilson acted in self-defense. As Michael Brown was black and Darren Wilson is white, this incident also caused extreme racial tension, fueling the many protests and general unrest in Ferguson. This case is reminiscent of the 2012 shooting of Trayvon Martin.

A little over three months later, those in Ferguson are still actively protesting, calling to light the underlying issues of brutality, bias, and racism in the police force and society. This week it is suspected that the St. Louis County grand jury in charge of the case will decide whether or not to indict Darren Wilson on account of his murdering Michael Brown. If the jury declines to indict Wilson, pandemonium is expected to ensue in Ferguson and other areas throughout the United States. Governor of Missouri, Jay Nixon has prematurely declared a state of emergency and acquired 400 National Guard troops to support local police in preparation for extreme reactions to the grand jury’s decision. Attorney General Eric Holder has also been urging those in law enforcement to prepare for possible protests and chaos and be ready to keep the public safe without compromising rights guaranteed by the Constitution.

The grand jury’s decision could be announced at any time over the next few days.