Attorney General Eric Holder released a video message Friday, announcing new guidance for police when they respond to demonstrations and calling for protesters to act in a peaceful manner.
His comments come as a grand jury is expected to make a decision in the case involving a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri and the shooting death of an unarmed black teenager in August -- an event that resulted in violent clashes between protesters and police.
"History has also shown us that the most successful and enduring movements for change are those that adhere to non-aggression and nonviolence," Holder said in the video. "And so I ask all those who seek to lend their voice to important causes and discussions, and who seek to elevate these vital conversations, to do so in a way that respects the gravity of their subject matter."
Holder said the new guidelines compile "information, tools, and best practices that will help law enforcement officers maintain public safety while safeguarding constitutional rights."
The basic facts of the case -- that Darren Wilson, a white police officer, fatally shot Brown, a black 18-year-old who was unarmed, on August 9 -- are not in dispute. Most everything else about the case is, leading to emotionally and racially charged divisions about what should happen next.
The officer's supporters have claimed Wilson fired only in self-defense, pointing to witness testimony and leaked grand jury documents that suggest Brown might have attacked Wilson, struggled for his gun and perhaps even charged the officer moments later.
Brown's backers have been likewise adamant in blaming Wilson, claiming the officer shot a young man who, according to some accounts, was holding up his hands in surrender at the time.
This dispute as to what happened at that crucial moment, the handing of the investigation from the outset and the fact that charges were not brought against Wilson sparked days of protests on the streets of Ferguson. The ensuing police response, which many have called heavy-handed, and the violence, property damage and looting of some during the protests only deepened the sense of mistrust.
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Holder calls for calm ahead of Ferguson decision