Wait for answers threatens fragile calm in Ferguson

The conflict in Ferguson, Mo., might have simmered for a time, but the heat is rising again as residents lose patience with the government’s response to the shooting death of Michael Brown.

The mobs of protesters that took over Ferguson streets in the nights after Officer Darren Wilson shot and killed Brown, an unarmed 18-year-old, have dispersed, as has a police presence reinforced by the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the National Guard. A St. Louis County grand jury is hearing evidence and will decide whether to indict Wilson on criminal charges in the shooting. The Justice Department has initiated a civil rights investigation into both the police response to protests and the Ferguson Police Department’s treatment of minority groups.

Meanwhile, St. Louis is abuzz with speculation about what really happened on Aug. 9 and what will happen next. Over the weekend, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch published an interview with an unidentified witness who claims to have seen the shooting. The witness was one of two construction workers from outside Ferguson who happened to be working nearby that day. The worker, who said he was interviewed by police and the FBI, said Michael Brown turned around to face Wilson, put his hands up, and said, “OK, OK, OK, OK, OK” after Wilson fired the first shot.

That report led Michael Brown’s family to renew its calls for Wilson’s arrest at a press conference outside Ferguson City Hall on Tuesday morning. The Rev. Carlton Lee, a local civil rights leader, said at the press conference the grand jury investigation should continue, but, meanwhile, there is ample evidence to justify arresting Wilson.

“If probable cause is enough to arrest civilians, then it is enough to arrest police officers,” Lee said.

The community’s lack of confidence in the government became even more apparent Tuesday evening at the Ferguson City Council’s first public meeting since the shooting. More than 600 people attended the meeting, the Post-Dispatch reported, which was frequently disrupted by people shouting, chanting, and raising their hands in the air, a gesture that has come to symbolize support for Brown

The City of Ferguson announced Monday major reforms to its municipal court system to ease the burden of traffic fines and court fees on impoverished citizens who can be arrested if they don’t pay. The goodwill gesture seems to have done little to improve the public’s impression of the city council, whose members came to the meeting under police escort. Ultimately, many in the crowd say they won’t be satisfied until they see Wilson punished for Brown’s death.

“If Darren Wilson doesn’t get justice, you might as well bring back the army, because it’s going to be chaos,” warned Joshua Williams, 18, during the public comment portion of the meeting.

Protesters plan to continue making public demands today by blocking Interstate 70 through St. Louis County. The St. Louis County Police and Missouri State Highway Patrol said they would have a presence in the area to keep traffic moving.

“We are using the means of civil disobedience that Dr. Martin Luther King used to effect change,” said attorney Eric Vickers, one of the protest’s organizers, in a news conference Monday. “It is going to cause people some discomfort. It is going to cause inconvenience to people. That is a small price to pay to change the conditions of African-American youth, and it’s a very small price to pay to bring justice to Michael Brown.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.