Yamiche Alcindor

USA TODAY

FERGUSON, Mo. — While this St. Louis suburb holds its breath waiting to learn whether a grand jury will indict officer Darren Wilson, 28, in the shooting death of Michael Brown, 18, people are talking.

At restaurants, coffee shops and dinner tables and on social media, everyone is buzzing about the case and what may have happened during the fatal Aug. 9 shooting.

USA TODAY looks at some myths and facts behind the shooting.

MYTH: We don't have any idea when the grand jury decision might happen.

FACT: It will come on or after Saturday (Nov. 15), according to St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Robert McCulloch. The grand jury is still hearing evidence and will make a decision once it is completed.

MYTH: Wilson stopped Brown because he was a suspect in a robbery.

FACT: Wilson did not know Brown was a suspect in a strong-arm robbery that happened moments before the shooting, according to Ferguson Police Chief Tom Jackson. Wilson stopped Brown and his friend for walking in the middle of the street, Jackson said.

MYTH: Autopsies tell us EXACTLY what happened when Brown was shot.

FACT: Police say Brown struggled with Wilson inside his police car, then reached for Wilson's weapon. Brown's family and some witnesses say Wilson killed Brown as he raised his hands in surrender. Multiple pathologists say the autopsy performed by the St. Louis County medical examiner and the pathologist hired by Brown's family could support either version.

Pathologists say forensic science alone can't determine whether Wilson justifiably shot the teen. Judy Melinek, a forensic pathologist based in California, says she was quoted out of context in a St. Louis Post-Dispatch story that said she thought the St. Louis County medical examiner's autopsy of Brown supported Wilson's claim that Brown was reaching for his gun. Melinek and others say crucial missing information including blood-spatter evidence, the number and location of bullet casings, the height of the officer's weapon and other ballistic information must be factored in to determine what happened.

MYTH: Ferguson is plagued by violent protests.

FACT: The city is mainly calm as residents wait for the grand jury decision. Protesters are not in the streets every night. Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon said he would call in the National Guard only if unrest makes it necessary.

MYTH: The grand jury is deciding whether or not Wilson was justified in the fatal shooting.

FACT:Legal experts stress the grand jury is not weighing whether Wilson was justified in shooting Brown. "They are not making a decision on officer Wilson's guilt," said Peter Joy, a criminal defense attorney and law professor at Washington University-St. Louis. The jury is simply weighing if there is probable cause that a crime was committed.

MYTH: Wilson has been fired.

FACT: Wilson has been on paid administrative leave since the shooting. Ferguson Police Chief Tom Jackson told KSDK that if the grand jury does not indict Wilson, he will immediately return to active duty. Wilson's assignment has yet to be determined. However, Jackson said if the grand jury does return an indictment, officer Wilson will most likely be fired. Jackson says he has not had any contact with Wilson, and it is unclear whether he would want to return to the police force. Later, Jackson clarified his statements to MSNBC, saying he was speaking in legal terms. He said Missouri law would allow Wilson to return to the force if he is cleared of any charges. The police department would also conduct an internal review of the Michael Brown shooting, to see if Wilson violated any Ferguson police department policies.

MYTH: Brown was armed.

FACT: The 18-year-old was unarmed, St. Louis County Police Chief Joe Belmar said in a news conference.