Jefferson City, Missouri -
The suburban St Louis police officer who fatally shot an unarmed black 18-year-old does not expect to face criminal charges from a Missouri grand jury that has been investigating the case for several months, a police union official said on Thursday.
Jeff Roorda, business manager for the St Louis Police Officers' Association, said he met on Thursday with the police officer, Darren Wilson, who has remained secluded from the public eye since the August 9 shooting that sparked tense and occasionally violent protests.
The killing also reignited a debate over how police treat young black men as it drew attention to racial tensions in the United States.
Wilson, who was placed on paid administrative leave following the shooting, has been under a lot of pressure and stress but seems confident in the outcome of the grand jury investigation, Roorda said.
“It's fair to say that neither he nor his defence team expect an indictment,” Roorda said.
The 12-person St Louis County grand jury has been hearing evidence in the case as the panel weighs whether to indict Wilson, who could face varying degrees of charges.
A decision could come soon, though authorities have not publicised any specific date for an announcement.
Roorda said St Louis city police have been notified that they are switching to 12-hour shifts starting Saturday, a preparation for a potential uptick in protests.
The St Louis County Police Department has not yet decided whether to switch to longer work shifts, spokesman Brian Schellman said.
For weeks, local and state police have been preparing for a grand jury announcement in anticipation that it will result in renewed protests. Earlier this week, Governor Jay Nixon declared a state of emergency and activated the National Guard to help with security.
Authorities have said Wilson shot Brown, who was unarmed, following some sort of physical confrontation that occurred after Wilson told Brown and a friend to stop walking down the centre of a street.
Wilson told authorities that the shooting happened after Brown struggled with him for his gun, according to reports by the St Louis Post-Dispatch and the New York Times that cited unnamed sources. But some witnesses have said Brown had his arms raised - as if to surrender - when the fatal shot was fired.
Riots and looting occurred a day after the shooting, and protesters filled the streets for weeks. Police responded by firing tear gas and smoke canisters into crowds of demonstrators after some people threw rocks and Molotov cocktails.
Benjamin Crump, a lawyer for Brown's family, said on Thursday that had no insight into the timing of the grand jury's decision, but expected to be notified ahead of any public announcement.
Wilson has incurred significant legal, medical and relocation expenses, and a police charity has raised close to $500 000 for him, Roorda said. - Sapa-AP