Protesters, police prepare for decision in Ferguson fatal shooting case

Police and protesters in Ferguson and across the U.S. continued to prepare Sunday for a grand jury decision in the case of an unarmed black teen who was shot and killed by a police officer.

Ferguson police Officer Darren Wilson shot Michael Brown, 18, on Aug. 9. A grand jury is deciding if Wilson will be charged in the fatal shooting.

Months of protests followed the shooting. Clashes between protesters and police have turned violent at times.

Dr. James Tucker traveled to Ferguson to assist in the protests. He was arrested on his way to a rally and spent time in the jail before he bonded out.

He said before a rally, he stopped at a store to pick up batteries for his blow horn. Tucker said he took his blow horn in the store with him to make sure he picked the correct battery size. He was stopped by a guard at the store and was told he couldn’t protest inside. He told the guard he wasn’t protesting and kept walking.

“By the time I got back around to the front of the store, there was a gang of policemen, a whole group of them, and they charged me with trespassing, disturbing the peace and disobeying order,” said Tucker.

Tucker said he does not expect the grand jury to charge Wilson and he wants to plan a protest in Colorado Springs.

“We are involved in a movement, a major movement; this movement is as significant as the civil rights movement in the 1960s. In fact, we plan to have more impact from this movement than in the 60s,” said Tucker.

Margarita Stokes said she would participate in an event on the city’s streets if the grand jury does not hand down a decision she agrees with.

“I do think it is very important for individuals to exercise their free voice,” said Stokes.

She said the country needs to have a conversation.

“The struggle that Martin Luther King used to talk about is not over. It is a continuing struggle so it’s important that the nation understand that we have to have a dialogue,” said Stokes.

The grand jury plans to reconvene Monday.