St. Louis mayor: ‘National Guard will play limited role’
The mayor of St. Louis said that he supported Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon’s decision to send the state’s National Guard to his city in preparation for the grand jury’s decision on whether to indict Officer Darren Wilson.
Mayor Francis G. Slay also stated that troops operating within the city would have a secondary role in responding to any disruptions, and that police would be the ones dealing directly with demonstrators.
“The Guard will not be used on the front lines,” Mr. Slay said. “They will not be interacting with protesters. They will be used in a secondary role and be accompanied by a St. Louis police officer.”
Mr. Slay said guardsmen might be stationed around shopping centers, strip malls and government buildings.
The bulk of protests taking place in August over the shooting death of Michael Brown took place in neighboring St. Louis County. But as demonstrators and police prepare for a grand jury decision of whether to charge Wilson, there have been indications that more protests will take place across the St. Louis area.
Black lives matter.
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