Despite blacks boasting the majority population in Ferguson, Mo., the grand jury convened to decide whether to charge officer Darren Wilson in unarmed black teen Michael Brown’s killing is almost all white.
That’s because St. Louis County, that houses both St. Louis and Ferguson and other cities, is 68 percent white and 24 percent black, according to the St. Louis Dispatch. The grand jury comprises three blacks, one man and two women, along with six white men and three white women.
But race has already played a major role in this case, as it has garnered international attention and sparked conversation about racial discrimination and inequality prompting demonstrators to protest nationwide.
The grand jury will decide whether a crime has been committed and “whether there is probable cause to believe the defendant committed it,” according to the Missouri attorney general’s office. If the jury makes that decision, it can issue an indictment formally charging the defendant.
Police said Brown was shot multiple times on Aug. 9 after being confronted by a white officer. Authorities initially offered vague details about the confrontation but said the officer involved had been placed on administrative leave.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has opened a parallel investigation into the circumstances surrounding Brown’s death.
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