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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsMissouri governor points finger at Ferguson police chief for new violence
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/17/missouri-governor-points-finger-ferguson-police-chief-renewed-violence<snip>
The governor of Missouri, Jay Nixon, on Sunday blamed the local police chief in Ferguson for renewed violence in the city, as the US department of justice stepped in to order an independent autopsy on the body of the teenager shot dead by a police officer a week earlier.
Nixon condemned the release by the local Ferguson force on Friday of security camera footage and a police report that implicated Michael Brown, 18, in a petty theft at a convenience store a few minutes before he was shot dead. The DoJ, which is leading a civil-rights investigation into the killing, also made it clear at the weekend that it had opposed publication of the pictures.
I think it had an incendiary effect, Nixon said in an interview on CBSs Face the Nation.
In Washington, a spokesman for Eric Holder, the attorney general, cited the extraordinary circumstances of the case for the decision to order the postmortem examination, which will be carried out by a federal medical examiner. The circumstances of Browns death remained murky and Browns family demanded a federal autopsy in an attempt to bring clarity.
pintobean
(18,101 posts)and allowing arsonists and looters free reign was the cause of increased violence. Those criminals don't give a shit about the video. He's also playing politics with this whole situation. He needs to just go back to Jefferson City and stay out of this.
Nixon is a fucking idiot and he's blaming others for his own mistakes.
malaise
(267,811 posts)that video - it was incendiary.
pintobean
(18,101 posts)He knows the laws. He's playing politics and shifting blame without acknowledging that the release was mandated by law at the closing of that investigation.
He's a sleazy politician. He could have helped settle any anger over that release. Instead, he is fanning the flames and jeopardizing the people and property of Ferguson. Fuck him.
cui bono
(19,926 posts)leader the violence subsided. Sure there were some instances of attempted lootings which the community stopped, perhaps there was some actual looting that took place. But had the police been out there as they had been, in their militarized state, it would have escalated and added fuel to the fire.
The only outcome of releasing that video is that it angered the community who already lost one of their own to a senseless killing by a cop, and now there is now more divide regarding the situation with racists saying he was a criminal and others seeing that it was no more than a ploy to disparage the character of the victim.
Last night got a bit worse again because of the curfew.
Are there people who don't care about anything other than they hate the police and they are just opportunists? Sure. But that's not the bulk of the people out there.
pintobean
(18,101 posts)A stand down order was issued Friday night. Police were forced to just watched the looting and arson. I think it was done so they would have an excuse for the curfew.
cui bono
(19,926 posts)Was Thursday night the first night where Johnson took over?
If it were done in order to get a curfew, who ordered it? I don't think Johnson would do something like that. Did they put the FPD back in charge?
pintobean
(18,101 posts)He is still in charge and FPD was never in charge, St. Louis County was.
cui bono
(19,926 posts)I think he put his trust in the community at that point. Sadly there are always some idiots that have to go and spoil things. Now I would not put it past the FPD to have gotten some people to go out and cause trouble. We know that is done by LEO often to cause a disturbance and give them reason to go in and beat people and shut it down.
Also, I would say that the FPD not releasing the incident report of the shooting and hiding away the killer is probably more to blame for any unrest than anything else. That and the video and their changing stories. Basically their entire handling, I mean bungling, of the situation.
pintobean
(18,101 posts)Think whatever you want.
FarPoint
(12,209 posts)Why???? Because the world now knows their intentions are to mislead and manipulate the crime scene evidence. It's now gone way past the appearance of impropriety.... Smells of deep corruption.
sadoldgirl
(3,431 posts)police report. I thought there is a law that it had to be released within 24-48 hours. Am I wrong in that assumption?
malaise
(267,811 posts)but there are many DUers who can help us out.
cui bono
(19,926 posts)sadoldgirl
(3,431 posts)csziggy
(34,120 posts)They asked for it under Missouri law, were refused and sued.
August 14, 2014 2:45 pm By Robert Patrick
CLAYTON The American Civil Liberties Union sued St. Louis County and the county police Thursday morning to obtain copies of initial police reports surrounding the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Mike Brown by Ferguson police.
The ACLU filed the lawsuit in St. Louis County Circuit Court after their open records request for the initial incident report of the shooting was rejected by police Wednesday, the suit says.
More: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/aclu-sues-to-obtain-mike-brown-shooting-report/article_e121542f-f920-58ae-af45-74530c4aa499.html
sadoldgirl
(3,431 posts)I am so glad that I joined the ACLU in 2001. They need support.
pintobean
(18,101 posts)when there's an active investigation.
Solomon
(12,305 posts)in support of the perpetrators.
pintobean
(18,101 posts)I'm just as curious as anybody else. Attacking me for posting facts is lame. If you don't want to see facts, don't read my posts. There's a button that makes that real easy.
sadoldgirl
(3,431 posts)why then does the ACLU sue the department? Surely they must know the law as well.
pintobean
(18,101 posts)I don't know why. It drives employees of public entities nuts. I'm sure the FBI has copies of everything, but no one is demanding that they release anything.
avebury
(10,946 posts)writing it and have rigged things as much as possible to paint Brown as a thug and the cop as a hero.
oldandhappy
(6,719 posts)First with over response in full military gear.
Second because of video.
I prefer not to say all the words I think of when I think of that chief.
Shameful is at least clean!
malaise
(267,811 posts)but I agree that the local police chief created most of the mess
Hoyt
(54,770 posts)Last edited Sun Aug 17, 2014, 07:00 PM - Edit history (1)
Everything involved in this should be released. Eye-witness accounts, police reports, radio transmissions, autopsy(s), etc.
I do think the way it was released hurt, but that is another thing. If the video had been released right at the first, it might have explained how things got started. I think a lot of people, including me, were under the impression the policeman just shot Michael Brown randomly. Of course, what happened may well approach that when we get to the bottom of what happened.
I believe if what we have so far is even close to the truth, Wilson should be indicted, the police department needs some serious house cleaning, all police departments should begin demilitarizing, we nee d to hire more Ron Johnsons and less Rambos, police and citizens carrying guns should wearcameras, and a lot more.