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ST. LOUIS, Nov. 19 (UPI) -- Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon has tapped 16 people to serve on a commission that will examine the issues surrounding the shooting of teenager Michael Brown and the unrest that followed. The Ferguson Commission will be co-chaired by a minister and a businessman, and many of the 16 appointees came from a pool of more than 300 who applied to serve.
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Rev. Starsky Wilson is president and CEO of the Deaconess Foundation and pastor of St. John's United Church of Christ in St. Louis. Rich McClure is chairman of the St. Louis Regional Board of Teach for America, former president of UniGroup Inc. and of Civic Progress. McClure was also chief of staff for former Missouri Gov. John Ashcroft.
At least one member of the commission, Felicia Pulliam, lives in Ferguson. Another member, Scott Negwer, owns the Ferguson-based Negwer Materials.
The commission is tasked with producing a report with recommendations by Sept. 15, 2015.
The announcement of the panel came one day after Nixon declared a state of emergency and activated the National Guard in case there is a backlash to a grand jury decision on whether to indict the white police officer who shot Brown, an unarmed black teenager.
The grand jury decision on Officer Darren Wilson's legal fate could come any day.
As people in and around Ferguson await the decision a new analysis of records showed the officer's fatal encounter with Brown lasted for less than 90 seconds.
