AP Gets Internal Planning Documents Before November Ferguson Grand Jury Announcement

(AP) – Newly released documents reveal that police planning for a grand jury announcement wanted National Guard troops and armored Humvees stationed in a Ferguson neighborhood where Michael Brown had been shot.

But the records show the requests were not granted, because Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon preferred to use the Guard in a support role to police.

Nixon’s office provided the documents to The Associated Press on Tuesday under an open records request. Some of the materials also were provided to a legislative committee looking into why the National Guard was not more quickly deployed to stop looting and arsons after the Nov. 24 announcement that officer Darren Wilson wouldn’t be charged in Brown’s death.

Nixon has defended his decision to use police, instead of military troops, on the front lines