A State of Emergency was issued in Ferguson, Missouri, and the National Guard has been activated ahead of the Ferguson grand jury decision.
Gov. Jay Nixon declared the State of Emergency for the next 30 days.
The move was done on Monday ahead of likely protests in anticipation of a decision not to indict police officer Darren Wilson.
A spokesperson with the Missouri Governor’s office told the Epoch Times that the state of emergency declaration is a “rumor.”
However, Nixon issued a statement on his website and it says that the State of Emergency was activated. The Associated Press also reported on the State of Emergency, noting that the National Guard would be called in to assist local police.
In part, it reads:
“NOW, THEREFORE, I, JEREMIAH W. (JAY) NIXON, GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF MISSOURI, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and Laws of the State of Missouri, including Sections 44.010 through 44.130, RSMo, do hereby declare a State of Emergency exists in the State of Missouri.
I further direct the Missouri State Highway Patrol together with the St. Louis County Police Department and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department to operate as a Unified Command to protect civil rights and ensure public safety in the City of Ferguson and the St. Louis region.
I further order that the St. Louis County Police Department shall have command and operational control over security in the City of Ferguson relating to areas of protests, acts of civil disobedience and conduct otherwise arising from such activities.
I further order that the Unified Command may exercise operational authority in such other jurisdictions it deems necessary to protect civil rights and ensure public safety and that other law enforcement agencies shall assist the Unified Command when so requested and shall cooperate with operational directives of the Unified Command.”
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