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The Hill
Five things to
watch in Ferguson
By Peter Sullivan
Protests are likely to quiet as families gather around the table to
celebrate the holiday — with many discussing the grand jury’s decision
in Ferguson, Mo., to not bring an indictment against police officer
Darren Wilson in the shooting death of Michael Brown, an 18-year-old
African American.
The political world has taken notice of Ferguson, particularly with
demonstrations spreading across the country. The degree to which the
story continues to dominate discussions may depend on five factors.
Will President Obama go to Ferguson?
Obama, the nation’s first black president, has already addressed the
racially-charged Ferguson decision twice.
The president is unlikely to make a trip on Thanksgiving, and the
Secret Service would surely want to make sure any presidential visit is
safe.
But Obama hasn’t ruled out a trip to the St. Louis suburb, saying at
the White House on Monday that his administration would take a look and
see how things are going.
The following day, a White House spokesman said a trip was under
consideration.
Obama’s public comments from the White House on Monday night came with
difficult imaging. Split screens showed demonstrations turning violent
as Obama urged protesters to stay peaceful.
Still, a trip to Ferguson would allow the president to once again drive
the news, something he’s increasingly been seeking to do since the
midterm elections.
And it is many of Obama’s supporters across the country, particularly
young people who once gravitated to the president, that are
demonstrating around the country in protest of the decision.
Will Wilson go silent?
The officer who shot Brown, Darren Wilson, broke his public silence in
an interview with ABC News on Tuesday.
He said there was a tussle in the police car after Brown punched him,
and that Brown tried to grab his gun. After Brown retreated, Wilson
said he followed, and took the final shots when Brown charged at him.
Brown’s mother, Lesley McSpadden, said Wednesday on CBS that she
“doesn’t believe a word” of Wilson’s story. Protesters have adopted the
gesture of putting their hands in the air based on accounts that Brown
had raised his hands in surrender before being shot.
There is a high demand for interviews with Wilson, and his story is
sure to be challenged further in the coming days.
But there is also the possibility of a civil case, and the Justice
Department is also investigating the incident.
That made Wilson’s interview with ABC all the more intriguing...
Read the rest of the article at The Hill
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