Michael Brown’s Father Issues Plea for Calm in Wake of Grand Jury Decision
Published at | Updated at
Scott Olson/Getty Images(ST. LOUIS) — With the grand jury in the Michael Brown shooting case set to deliver a verdict at any time, the father of the slain teenager released a public service video Thursday urging supporters to protest peacefully regardless of the decision.
In anticipation that the grand jury might not indict Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson in the racially charged case, Missouri Governor Jay Nixon has already issued a state of emergency, with law enforcement authorities ready in anticipation of civil unrest that could turn violent.
Michael Brown Sr.’s statement begins by thanking supporters “for lifting your voices to end racial profiling and police intimidation — but hurting others or destroying property is not the answer.”
Saying that he doesn’t want his son’s death to have been in vain, Brown asks that it instead leads “to incredible change, positive change, change that makes the St. Louis region better for everyone.”
Brown concludes his statement by asking everyone in the community and the nation at large to “work together to heal and to create lasting change for all people regardless of race.”
Meanwhile, in an exclusive interview with ABC News, Ferguson Police Chief Thomas Jackson said, “There’s a time and place for civil unrest, and this apparently is the time and this is the place, but we do — we do hope that people understand the property rights of others and the value of human life.”
More ABC US news | ABC World News
Follow @ABCNewsRadio
Copyright 2014 ABC News Radio