Ferguson: One year after grand jury decision

Tuesday marked one year since a grand jury decided not to indict Ferguson Police officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Brown.

ABC 17 News took a look back at the state response to rioting following the grand jury announcement and what has changed.

The riots the community saw on year ago left behind millions of dollars in damages.

Leaders in Ferguson were also left with a lot of questions as to who was in charge that night.

In hearings at the Capitol over the last year, community leaders said the response from the National Guard was nothing like they had hoped and nothing like the state’s leaders seemed to have promised.

There was apparent chaos and confusion that night among state and local officials, including a voicemail made by Ferguson’s mayor to lawmakers in Jefferson City.

Governor Nixon also faced criticism of his handling of the unrest in Ferguson.

“First of all, there were guard in Ferguson, everybody knows that. They were guarding the command post. I don’t mean to be chippy about that but they were there,” said Nixon.

“I was also told that West Florissant would have protection from the National Guard troops that were to be stationed at the command center that was nearby. We later found out that those national guard troops weren’t at the command center. Not a single person was killed due to the unrest in Ferguson. Not a single shot was fired by the patrol or any other law enforcement agency. They asked for resources, they asked for National Guard troops to be in Ferguson. I was later told that they would not be in Ferguson, that plan was rejected or changed,” said Ferguson Mayor James Knowles.

A year later, the city seems to be getting back on its feet.

The Associated Press reports that Ferguson is getting its own Starbucks that will partner with a bakery damaged during protests and unrest.

The Starbucks will sell pastries from Natalie DuBose’s bakery that was damaged last November.