The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said it was diverting at least 10 St. Louis-bound flights to other airports because of reports of gunshots fired into the sky in Ferguson in the aftermath of the grand jury decision on the Michael Brown shooting.

The FAA made a three-mile radius over the Missouri suburb where the shooting took place a no-fly zone.

For safety reasons, only law enforcement aircraft are permitted to fly through this area, the FAA said in a statement.

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The FAA made a three-mile radius over the Missouri suburb where the shooting took place a no-fly zone

Riot policemen clash with protesters in Ferguson in the aftermath of the grand jury decision on the Michael Brown shooting

It added that it wanted to provide a safe environment for police aircraft to operate in.

Police said that hundreds of shots have been fired during violent disturbances in Ferguson.

A no-fly zone of 37 square miles around Ferguson was declared in August for 12 days following the shooting, but audio recordings later showed that local authorities privately acknowledged the purpose was to keep away news helicopters during violent street protests.

'They finally admitted it really was to keep the media out,' said one FAA manager about the St. Louis County Police in a series of recorded telephone conversations obtained by The Associated Press.

Concerns have been voiced on social media that the no-fly zone has been enforced again for the same reason.

Angry crowds poured into the streets of the suburb within minutes of news that a grand jury decided not to indict a white police officer in the death of 18-year-old Brown.

The fatal shooting sparked weeks of demonstrations and exposed deep racial tension between African-Americans and police.

President Barack Obama and the family of Michael Brown asked for calm after St. Louis County's top prosecutor announced the grand jury's decision Monday evening. As Obama spoke live from the White House briefing room, television networks showed Obama on one side of the screen, and violent demonstrations in Ferguson on the other. Within a few hours, several buildings in the St. Louis suburb were ablaze, and frequent gunfire was heard. Officers used tear gas to try to disperse some of the gatherings.

Officer Darren Wilson's fatal shooting of Brown during an Aug. 9 confrontation sparked a fierce debate over how police treat young African-American men and focused attention on long-simmering racial tensions in Ferguson and around the U.S., four decades after the 1960s civil rights movement. Police were criticized for responding to mostly peaceful protests with armored vehicles and tear gas.

Obama said Monday night from the White House that Americans need to accept the grand jury's decision.

No charges: A grand jury has decided that police officer Darren Wilson (left) will not face charges for the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown, 18, (right) in Ferguson, Missouri last August

STATEMENT FROM MICHAEL BROWN'S FAMILY: We are profoundly disappointed that the killer of our child will not face the consequence of his actions. While we understand that many others share our pain, we ask that you channel your frustration in ways that will make a positive change. We need to work together to fix the system that allowed this to happen. Join with us in our campaign to ensure that every police officer working the streets in this country wears a body camera. We respectfully ask that you please keep your protests peaceful. Answering violence with violence is not the appropriate reaction. Let's not just make noise, let's make a difference. Advertisement

'We are a nation built on the rule of law, so we need to accept that this decision was the grand jury's to make,' Obama said. He said it was understandable that some Americans would be 'deeply disappointed - even angered,' but echoed Brown's parents in calling for any protests to be peaceful.

St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Bob McCulloch stressed that the grand jurors, who had met weekly since August 20, were 'the only people who heard every witness ... and every piece of evidence.' He said many witnesses presented conflicting statements that ultimately were inconsistent with the physical evidence. The panel heard more than 70 hours of testimony from about 60 witnesses, including three medical examiners and experts on blood, toxicology and firearms.

McCulloch never mentioned that Brown was unarmed when he was killed.

As McCulloch read his statement, Michael Brown's mother, Lesley McSpadden, was sitting atop a vehicle listening to a broadcast of the announcement.

When she heard the decision, she burst into tears and began screaming before being whisked away by supporters.

The crowd with her erupted in anger, converging on the barricade where police in riot gear were standing. They pushed down the barricade and began pelting police with objects, including a bullhorn. Officers stood their ground.

Police departments in several big U.S. cities said they were bracing for large demonstrations with the potential for violence. Thousands of people protested from Los Angeles to New York, leading marches, waving signs and shouting chants of 'Hands Up! Don't Shoot,' the slogan that has become a rallying cry in protests over police killings across the country.