Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon announced today that he is relieving St. Louis County law enforcement from policing the ongoing protests in the town of Ferguson, Missouri, placing the Highway Patrol in charge instead.
“We’ve all been deeply troubled by this crisis,” Nixon said, adding that the current crisis unfolding in the state “is not what Missouri is about.” He stated that Ferguson looks “like a war zone” lately, and added, “We need to rebuilt the trust that’s been lost” in the wake of Brown’s death and the use of police force on demonstrators.
The highly militarized police used rubber bullets, pepper spray, tear gas and sonic weapons even on peaceful protesters. They also went so far as to rough up and arrested 2 reporters, shoot another with rubber bullets, gas yet other press and confiscate cameras.
Nixon added that the Highway Patrol’s involvement will not affect the responsibility of those involved in conducting investigations into the killing of Brown and the protests that have taken place since his death. He confirmed that the Department of Justice is conducting a parallel investigation.
Nixon also touched on the controversy surrounding police refusal to identify the officer involved in Brown’s death. In response to a question at the press conference, Nixon said the official’s name should be released as “expeditiously as possible.”
Previously, Rep Wm. Lacy Clay (D-Mo.) told Bloomberg News on Thursday morning that Gov. Jay Nixon, also a Democrat, had confirmed to him that county police will be pulled from their duties in Ferguson.
On Wednesday evening, protests in Ferguson for the fourth straight day appeared to resemble a war zone when militarized police began firing tear gas and non-lethal ammunition into the streets towards private residences. Two journalists, one from Washington Post and another from Huffington Post, were briefly detained while on assignment.
“The gov. just called me and he’s on his way to St. Louis now to announce he’s taking St. Louis County police out of the situation,” Rep. Clay told Derek Wallbank, a reporter for Bloomberg, early Thursday.
Earlier that afternoon, US President Barack Obama said during a press conference that he has spoken with Gov. Nixon and Attorney General Eric Holder, and had instructed federal officials to do everything they could to investigate Brown’s death and keep the situation in Ferguson calm. According to NewsChannel 5, the Justice Department will also be spending special prosecutors to Ferguson to assist in the investigation.
Source: rt.com
Photo: AFP Photo / Getty Images / Scott Olson
you will no regain the towns trust until you destroy the core. all outside instigators have to go.
Send all the gun hungry cops to the boarders and people this rioting stuff only compounds issues.
anyone that wears a uniform needs to understand their oath they took. You shouldn’t follow orders blindly, adhering to your oath requires a conscience, if you’re confused…. try reading this http://www.omjp.org/ArtLarryDisobey.html
Did nothing last night to stop riots and thugs.
Of course the democrat would further insult the police department. If it looked like a war zone I would want more than a hand gun to be in the area. This is so out of control with Obama and Holder to be involved in. It’s sending a message loud and clear to communities like these savages to loot, steal burn and destroy businesses and assault cops. Civilized people wait for the investigation to be complete. These idiots want to gain the savages trust back. If I were a good responsible person white or black I would find another city for my residence, business or job. Let them hire these welfare trash who refuse to work for their police department and see how well it goes for them. Those of us who work to support them well we don’t have the time to protest 24/7. Besides we are civilized and don’t sponge off of the taxpayers. Even educated blacks are embarrassed of these losers.
Someone has to get control of this mess. the outsiders need to go home. Lillie ozment
Ferguson is muslims dream for recruiting more criminal parasites like the ones rioting over there.
Backing off by the Police is not the answer it only creates more Crime.
A mistake to remove local law enforcement from controlling the situation. Highway Patrol has other duties to perform.
They had better start firing people!