Ferguson Cop Who Shot Michael Brown Marries

Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson has tied the knot while he awaits a grand jury's decision on whether he will be charged for shooting dead Michael Brown.

Officer Wilson, 28, married fellow Ferguson police officer Barbara Spradling on 24 October, according to records at the St Louis County Recorder of Deeds office.

A municipal judge performed the ceremony in Overland, Missouri, less than 10 miles from where Officer Wilson shot dead the 18-year-old on 9 August.

It is Officer Wilson's second marriage, after he divorced his first wife in 2013, the AP news agency reported.

The secret ceremony was held as a grand jury heard evidence in the highly publicised killing of Mr Brown.

The jury has reached its decision and it will be revealed later on Monday.

The shooting of the unarmed black teen by the white police officer sparked several weeks of protest, and tensions are mounting again as Ferguson residents await the 12-member panel's decision.

Several business owners have boarded up their shops amid fears there could be a repeat of the sometimes violent protests that erupted in the wake of Mr Brown's death.

The governor declared a state of emergency and schools in the region have been ordered closed on Monday and Tuesday ahead of a possible decision.

Mr Brown was shot at least six times, twice in the head, on the street where he lived, according to pathologist Dr Michael Baden, who was hired by the Brown family.

Varying accounts of the shooting have emerged from witnesses; some described a struggle between the pair, while others said the teenager had put his hands up.

The grand jury has been hearing evidence in the case for three months, including testimony from Officer Wilson.

The panel was scheduled to meet again on Monday.