Panel Will Study Conditions in Ferguson That Spurred Angry Protests
Published at | Updated at
Scott Olson/Getty Images(ST. LOUIS) — Missouri Governor Jay Nixon appointed a commission Tuesday to study the outrage that resulted from the shooting of an 18-year-old black man by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, last August 9.
The 16-person panel with both white and black members will be chaired by businessman Rich McClure and the Rev. Starsky Wilson, who was involved in some of the demonstrations that followed the shooting.
Nixon’s move comes as a grand jury is preparing a decision on whether to indict police officer Darren Wilson for the shooting of Michael Brown following a brief altercation. A coroner’s report says Brown, who was unarmed, was shot six times, including once in the head.
Earlier this week, Nixon declared a state of emergency to prepare law enforcement officials for the possibility of civil unrest, regardless if Wilson is indicted or not.
When he announced plans in October to form a commission, the governor stated that he wanted a thorough and wide-reaching review of the conditions in the Ferguson community that spurred anger leading to confrontations between police and protesters.
Follow @ABCNewsRadio
Copyright 2014 ABC News Radio