By Nathalie Mairena

It was a Saturday when Michael and his friend were stopped by a police officer. When ordered to get off the sidewalk, the two went on their way. Witnesses say that there was struggle between the police and Michael, with the officer in the patrol car and Michael still outside. A gunshot was fired and Michael was seen running from the car.

This is when witness testimony begins to blur. Some say that Michael charged back at the police officer; others, that he tried running away and even put his hands up to show he was no threat and unarmed.

Regardless of the version, the story always ends the same; Michael Brown, eighteen and college bound, was shot multiple times and ultimately killed. His body was left on the streets for four hours.

And thus, Ferguson, Missouri and the entire nation erupted into an odd mix of controversy, riots, peaceful protests, and demands for justice for Michael Brown.

The controversy surrounding Michael Brown’s death comes as no surprise. The Nation is in the troughs of talk of gun violence, police brutality and racism.

Anger was riled over the press coverage of Michael Brown, as people protested against the media’s portrayal of Michael Brown, inspiring the hashtag #IfTheyGunnedMeDown, asking the question of whether the media would portray them for who they really were, or as the thugs people expect to be killed by police officers.

The day of Michael’s death, August 9, the people of Ferguson gathered at the spot where he was killed and held a silent vigil in his honor. The masses grew and that is when the police began deploying police officers clad in riot gear. That same Sunday, the police responded to protests with tear gas and sound canons.

“I think the protests would have remained calm had the police not shown up in riot gear, armored vehicles and tossing gas into crowds,” said Joel Franco, a Miami-Dade College journalism student who has been covering Ferguson closely. “So the problem essentially is the way the St. Louis PD handling this.”

The violent response from the police escalated and the crowds grew more hectic. Looters also began to break away from the protesters, and taking advantage of the chaos, began taking breaking into stores, taking whatever they could carry.

Violence from the police was not limited only to the protesters. Journalists and media on the scene have been blasted by tear gas and stopped from entering the area of the protesters. One was even threatened at gun point as a policeman shouted, “I am going to F***ing kill you.”

Policemen reportedly stripped off their badges with their name and also refrained from giving their name when asked. Also notable is the significant delay between Michael’s death and the revelation of the name of the officer who killed him.

The name of the officer, Darren Wilson, was eventually revealed on August 15 in a press conference-along with the accusation that Michael had been a suspect for a robbery of a convenience store that had been robbed the very day he was killed.

Prior to this, Missouri State Highway Patrol Captain Ronald S. Johnson was given control of the riots. He is a much respected member of Ferguson and he promised change.

“We are going to have a different approach and have the approach that we’re in this together,” Johnson told reporters after he was appointed. “I understand the anger and fear that the citizens of Ferguson are feeling, and our officers will respect both of those.”

Johnson chose to withdraw any armored vehicles and policemen and things seemed as though things would be resolved.

But the press conference reignited anger amongst the protesters and soon, SWAT teams were back on the streets, as was the tear gas and rubber bullets.

Since then, Governor Nixon of Missouri ordered marshal law and a curfew (which has been withdrawn), journalists have been arrested, and the National Guard was called in to get control of the situation. A few miles away from Ferguson, the police gunned down another man.

An independent autopsy was released, which was conducted by Dr. Michael Baden. Michael was hit a total of six times, with two gunshots to the head being the fatal wounds.

According to Baden, he could not confirm which gunshots entered first, thought the two gunshot wounds to the head were the only fatal shots. There was also no gunshot residue on Brown’s body, leading Baden to believe that the shots were fired at a distance. There was also no sign of struggle.

A funeral was held for Michael Brown on August 25. The family came together in honor of Michael and many shared stories over how Michael had wanted to make a name for himself in the world.

Ron Davis, whose son was killed in Jacksonville two years ago, was also there.

“Every time change has come, it’s come through the youth and the young generation,” Davis said at the funeral service. “This generation is saying we have had enough of this senseless killing. We have had enough of this.”

In Fergusson, two-thirds of the population is African American. But a majority of the police force and the mayor are white, as are five of the six City Council members. The racial inequality has within Ferguson is prominent and seen every day by its citizens, especially now.

The relationship Ferguson has with their police force is not a good one either.

“I met people who spoke of their experience of harassment with the Ferguson police. It’s a community that doesn’t trust its police because of negative experience,” said Doctor Rebecca Martinez, a professor at the University of Missouri, who attended the protests out of solidarity.

“I also met a young man and his mother. He had signs that referenced his being attacked by Ferguson police dogs last year in July. His mom said he was racially profiled for driving her car, a black Porsche. He was asked to get out of the car and the dogs were set on him,” she said.

These accounts, regardless of their truth, show just how badly the Ferguson community perceives their police force.

Such sentiment towards the police force has echoed across the United States. Obama spoke of taking away military grade equipment from police officers. Even Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Jimenez spoke of putting cameras on officers throughout Miami.

And now the time has come for a decision. Today, at 9 pm, the state’s Grand Jury will be making the decision of whether or not to try Darren Wilson, who has remained outside of jail since the shooting.

Things are once again as bad in Ferguson as they were at the beginning. Missouri’s Governor Jay Nixon put up a preemptive state of emergency, and policemen mingle with protesters, with full on riot gear and emergency weapons.

Protesters in Missouri see grim prospects. According to a report released, the Grand Jury will be listening solely to police reports and will be allowed to listen to any information from witnesses if it is deemed “relevant”.

There are also recent reports of leaked information that the Grand Jury has in fact voted in favor of Darren Wilson. But this remains unconfirmed.

Until the minutes that lead up to the release of the verdict are released, things remain peaceful, though many stores have been bordered and police surround town hall in fear for the worst.