A grand jury deliberating in the case of the police-shooting death of Ferguson, Missouri teen Michael Brown is expected to have a decision sometime this month.

BBC reported that the 12 member panel, which had been given a 60-day extension into January, is slated to deliver a decision on whether or not to indict the police officer, Darren Wilson, who shot and killed the unarmed 18-year-old.

The death of Brown spurred a number of protests in the name of race and prejudice -- accusing the officer of instigating a situation that has long existed in the background in Ferguson.

With an anticipated decision soon, the residents of Ferguson are bracing for yet another outpouring of protestors seeking justice for Brown -- possibly worse than in August when the shooting occurred.

"We're getting gas masks and we're trying to protect ourselves," Erica Slaughter, a resident and mother, told BBC.

A Missouri State police captain, one of the highest ranking black officers in the state, told CBS that, in the wake of the shooting, violence was more prevalent and caused him to lose a convenience store he owned.

But he is determined to keep the peace, Capt. Ron Johnson told CBS.

Critics also saw the response to the protests as a fight of black versus white. A majority of the law enforcement officers were white, and a majority of the protestors were black.

Johnson said that in order to prevent the violence and protests from escalating the way they did, the authorities should have done more to connect with the community earlier on. Instead of using guns and force, to open up discussions.

And that is exactly what Johnson is doing -- meeting with locals, including students, gang members and ministers, who are concerned about what will happen if a grand jury does not indict Wilson.