:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/44262608/458993214.0.jpg)
- Police are investigating whether Louis Head, Michael Brown's stepfather, tried to incite a riot on November 24 after a grand jury decided not to indict former Ferguson, Missouri, police officer Darren Wilson for shooting and killing Brown, reported USA Today.
- Head was caught on tape screaming, "Burn this bitch down!" shortly after the grand jury decision was announced.
- Later that night, disorganized nighttime protesters in Ferguson rioted and set various buildings and cars on fire.
- Ferguson Police Chief Tom Jackson told CNN that police have not yet interviewed Head but intend to.
- Head apologized for his comments in a statement to CNN, but he added that blaming him for the conditions in Ferguson after the grand jury decision "goes way too far and is as wrong as the decision itself."
Most of the protests have been peaceful
Protesters have taken to the streets of Ferguson since August to demonstrate against the Brown shooting and racial disparities in the criminal justice system.
Despite occasional bouts of violence, the protests in Ferguson have been largely peaceful since August.
Protest leaders, which have organized through social media and NoIndictment.org, have worked hard to keep the demonstrations non-violent. "Remember, we actively advocate and profess the importance of peaceful protest," NoIndictment.org states. "We do not support, condone, or encourage violence."
Brown's father, Michael Brown, Sr., similarly called for peace prior to the grand jury decision.
"I thank you for lifting your voices to end racial profiling and police intimidation. But hurting others or destroying property is not the answer," Brown Sr. said. "No matter what the grand jury decides, I do not want my son's death to be in vain. I want it to lead to incredible change."
Police Chief Jackson told Fox News' Sean Hannity that he doesn't intend for any protesters involved in violence last week to go unpunished: "Everyone who is responsible for taking away people's property, their livelihoods, their jobs, their businesses — every single one of them needs to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."
