It was announced that a decision was reached earlier today. Am I the only one thinking that postponing the decision until nighttime, and giving anyone with the inclination to do bad things, plenty of time to get liquored up and synchronize their cellphones, is a terrible decision?
It gives time for the police to call in off duty folks, gear up, check their stuff, get in to position, etc. With a good plan they can use the couple hours better than a diverse, poorly synchronized mass. It let’s people who aren’t interested in chaos get home and batten down the hatches. It’s also letting the temps drop after sunset which never hurts if you are the ones trying to keep order.
I’m 40 miles West of Ferguson and our National Guard unit is deployed. They are an MP unit.
But the various law enforcement agencies have been gearing up (not planning, but acting on those plans) for over a week now. Because it affects public safety, I don’t see any conflict with the LEA’s getting advance notice of an announcement in order to be able to deploy resources.
I expect a lot more angry mobishness if he’s not indited & don’t see any reason to give those people time to organize beforehand.
It also gives the grand jury members, who have already been dismissed, time to get out of Dodge.
The National Guard has night vision equipment. The State Police probably has access to night vision equipment. The county police has access to helicopters and those copters are probably equipped with night vision equipment.
The protestors, thugs, arsonists, bombers, and looters have the LEOs right were they want them. 
Time to set up the barricades and [DEL]machine guns[/DEL] tear gas. The cops and National Guard had a couple months to prepare and plan. But, so have the rioters & looters. God only knows what they got planned.
There’s indications the responsible protesters (a totally different group than the rioters & looters) will accept the verdict and will peacefully march. I saw Michael Brown’s dad in a video clip asking for calm and to avoid violence regardless of the verdict.
And the students are home from school and there’s enough time to cancel classes & start Thanksgiving break a day early. I’ll be watching at 9.
I’m guessing it’s going to be no true bill. If it was a true bill for murder, there would be no reason to delay the announcement. Maybe not even for voluntary manslaughter.
AKA those people who are upset that unarmed children are murdered by police.
One of these things is not like the others
Four of these things are kind of the same
but one of these things is not like the others
and now it’s time to play our game;
it’s time to play our game!
Just a reminder. If you feel the need to say something Pitty on the subject there is an open and active thread right there in the Pit.
It’s “thugs” isn’t it? That’s the only one without an ‘o’. (joking, joking)
Guard troops are already showing up on the street in photos. Even with a solid plan and preparation they have other jobs so that may have affected the timing for the decision. Sounds like the Guard’s mission is security of governmental facilities and providing logistical support to free up police for crowd and riot control.
Some talking head on CNN said that if it is a true bill, the delay gives Wilson a chance to turn himself in safely, without having to face an angry mob or doing a perp walk in front of national TV.
Can link direct because the picture clicks through to a video. Lead picture on CNN is an individual in a Guy Fawkes mask with an upside down flag behind a spray painted up car that includes “FTP.” I’m sensing an imported semi-pro demonstrator that does NOT share the stated relatively peaceful plans of the local organization.
It’s going to be a long night
Curiously, some other talking head on CNN pretty much just said the opposite. He said they couldn’t make an announcement if Wilson was indicted and a wanted person until he was in custody, and that he hasn’t been asked to turn himself in. At least that’s the way I understood it, but I’m not paying too much attention.
Jeez, I love the news!
That generally is the role of the National Guard during civil disturbances. But I don’t think that their full time jobs had anything to do with the timing. The governor declared a state of emergency days ago which allowed him to call up the Guard then. Having been in various call ups myself I’m sure a sufficient number of troops were put on state active duty then.
Sometimes when they have nothing new to report they just babble. This is a good example.
Me, too, which is why I’m watching the Ratbirds/Saints game. It seems that CNN has no mental filter; it’s just blabbering about whatever to fill airtime until the announcement.