Nixon lifts state of emergency in Ferguson

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon (D) on Wednesday canceled the state of emergency he issued more than two weeks ago when protests over Michael Brown’s death erupted.

The governor’s decision to lift the warning signals the situation in Ferguson, Mo., has calmed after weeks of turmoil consumed the community.

{mosads}Nixon announced the state of emergency on Aug. 16, when he implemented a curfew for residents of Ferguson as civil unrest intensified. 

Under the same executive order, the governor directed state and local law enforcement officials to protect citizens’ right to protest peacefully and to provide security.

Nixon had also deployed members of the Missouri National Guard to help main order in Ferguson during the height of protests last month. The governor ordered them to begin withdrawing on Aug. 21.

Meanwhile, an investigation into the fatal police shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown is pending. The unarmed black teenager was shot by officer Darren Wilson in early August. The Justice Department’s civil rights division is also looking into the incident.

Authorities have said Brown physically assaulted Wilson during the confrontation, and tried to take his weapon. Brown’s family and some eyewitnesses, however, have rejected those allegations.