A Timeline Of How The National Guard Has Been Used To Quell Racial Tensions

Gov. Jay Nixon (D) has declared a state of emergency in Missouri as the state and nation await a grand jury decision in the case of Michael Browns fatal shooting by Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson. The grand jury will determine whether or not Wilson will be indicted for a crime for killing Brown , and are expected to deliver their decision any day. There are protests planned if Wilson is not indicted.

Earlier this year, protests erupted after Brown, an unarmed black teen, was killed, and the Missouri National Guard was called to Ferguson to maintain order. Nixons order allows the National Guard to become active once again in Ferguson, if they are needed.

When the National Guard was called into Ferguson in August , the militarization of the situation and the behavior of law enforcement in the city was widely criticized . But it wasnt the first time the National Guard has been used to dampen protests. Take a look at the timeline below of some of the notable occasions the National Guard has been used as a mechanism to quell racial tensions in the U.S.