National Guard to withdraw from Ferguson

Police officers in riot gear watch demonstrators protesting against the shooting of Michael Brown from the side of a building in Ferguson, Missouri August 19, 2014. [Photo/Agencies]

Frustrated by the pace of the process, protesters outside McCulloch's office in nearby Clayton called for his removal from the case. They want the appointment of a special prosecutor, an expedited grand jury proceeding and the immediate arrest of Wilson, who has been placed on leave.

State Senator Jamilah Nasheed arrived at McCulloch's office to deliver petitions calling for his ouster.

"I am here to deliver a message to Bob McCulloch that the people do not have any confidence in him," Nasheed said. "The people's opinion is that he totally has no ability to do the right thing."

Zaki Baruti, a leader of the Universal African Peoples Organization, warned that Wednesday night's relative quiet did not necessarily mean crowds would remain peaceful.

"Civil disobedience is coming down the line, in a strong way, until our demands are met," Baruti said.

Outside a fast-food restaurant on West Florissant Avenue in Ferguson, a small contingent of angry young black men held a homemade wanted poster for Wilson, just blocks from the street where Brown was killed.

They warned there would be no lasting peace until the officer was brought to justice.

"For us he is a wanted man. It is time for calm and peace but only if they bring him to justice," said 23-year-old Dontey Carter, shirtless with a scarf wrapped around his head.

Overnight into early Thursday, a few gunshots rang out and at least one officer was hit by a bottle, but Missouri State Highway Patrol Captain Ron Johnson said: "The trend is good."

"Crowds were smaller, they were calm and orderly," said Johnson, a black officer appointed to oversee security.

Outside the Ferguson Police Department, Nick Smith stood with a small group of protesters braving the hot sun and held a sign reading: "I am black. I am a man. Respect me."

"I think things are calming down," the retired railroad worker said. But he cautioned that the community could not return to such divisiveness and hostility between residents and police.

"I am quite sure it is hard to be a policeman in this day and age, but you can't treat us like animals," he said. "It is time for a change."

Holder, the US attorney general, visited Ferguson on Wednesday and met with Brown's parents. He promised a thorough investigation into the case that has fueled debate over the justice system's treatment of African Americans.

The Justice Department has launched an investigation to whether federal prosecutors can bring criminal charges against Wilson.