Riots ahead in Ferguson?

"He didn't deserve to die," says 78-year-old Marthyell Hall, speaking in a supermarket in Ferguson. The retired teacher, wrapped up in a thick coat against the cold weather, shakes her head emphatically. "The policeman Darren Wilson has to answer in court for what he did."

Marthyell Hall is an African-American who has lived in Ferguson for more than 50 years. She is expressing what most people there expect their justice system to do: hold a fair and public trial. Hall admits that if Darren Wilson gets off scot-free there may once again be large-scale protests in Ferguson and St Louis. "But actually we're tired and don't want to demonstrate any more," she says.

"We're prepared for everything"

The mayor of Ferguson, James Knowles, fully expects that there will be demonstrations after the grand jury announces its decision. He doesn't know whether or not they will be violent: "But we're well prepared for everything," he says. Almost 400 people have been arrested for inciting unrest since the disturbances first began, but Knowles points out that only 10 of these people came from Ferguson. By this he means that troublemakers are travelling from all over the United States to fight the police in this suburb of St Louis.

Ferguson's white mayor is only a part-time politician. James Knowles also teaches wrestling in local schools. He knows the people in the area. "Most people here are peaceful and get along well with each other, no matter whether they're black or white."

But 21-year-old Melissa - who doesn't want to give her surname - isn't convinced by the peace. As the mayor heads home she confides that a local brewery is planning to close its bar for a few days after the grand jury decision: "Just in case there are riots, like there were in the past."

Ferguson expects more riots

Shops in Ferguson are already barred and bolted. They've nailed big boards across their shop windows. Not all of them are closed, however. Some have written "OPEN" in big black letters across the boards. In recent months the shop owners have found that the security forces were unable to protect their properties.

How many National Guardsmen and police will be deployed in Ferguson? Right now, no one seems to have an exact figure. The mayor of neighboring St Louis, Francis Slay, wants at least 400 soldiers of the National Guard to patrol the streets alongside some 1,000 police officers. The Democratic governor of Missouri, Jay Nixon, recently declared a state-wide state of emergency. When asked at a press conference who was ultimately responsible for security in Ferguson, he was unable to provide a clear answer. The local press have been pouring scorn on him as a result.

Waiting for the grand jury verdict

No one yet knows when exactly the grand jury will finally reach a decision, according to experienced lawyer Richard Hein. He's worked in St Louis for more than 20 years, and his office is not far from the building where the jurors hold their sessions. They meet once a week, sometimes more often. Hein says it could be days or even weeks before they decide whether there's enough evidence for Wilson to be charged in connection with the shooting. The jurors need time, he says, to carefully examine all the evidence available. "They're under huge public pressure," says Hein.

If the case does go to trial, it will be a different jury that decides whether or not Darren Wilson is guilty. Unlike many of his colleagues, Richard Hein believes it's quite possible that the police officer will have to stand trial. "Nothing's decided yet," he says.