Statement from Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon

[cal04]

Source: TPM

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon (D) has just released a statement on the escalating events in Ferguson. Statement after the jump ...

(snip)
“The worsening situation in Ferguson is deeply troubling, and does not represent who we are as Missourians or as Americans. While we all respect the solemn responsibility of our law enforcement officers to protect the public, we must also safeguard the rights of Missourians to peaceably assemble and the rights of the press to report on matters of public concern.

“I have been closely monitoring the situation and will continue to be in communication with local leaders, and I will be in north St. Louis County tomorrow. As Governor, I am committed to ensuring the pain of last weekend’s tragedy does not continue to be compounded by this ongoing crisis. Once again, I ask that members of the community demonstrate patience and calm while the investigation continues, and I urge law enforcement agencies to keep the peace and respect the rights of residents and the press during this difficult time.”

Read more: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/statement-from-gov-nixon-d-mo

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Now on twitter
Situation in Ferguson does not represent who we are. Must keep the peace, while safeguarding rights of citizens and the press

Closely monitoring situation & will be in North STL Co tomorrow. Ask for calm & urge law enforcement to respect rights of residents & press

https://twitter.com/GovJayNixon?original_referer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vox.com%2F2014%2F8%2F14%2F6001387%2Fmissouri-governor-jay-nixon-releases-statement-on-events-in-ferguson&tw_i=499763706297741313&tw_p=tweetembed

[kath]

1. Where the @!*# has HE been for the past four days????

Jeebus

[alp227]

13. On Monday he called for a federal investigation.

http://politicmo.com/2014/08/11/gov-jay-nixon-calls-for-justice-department-investigation-into-shooting-of-ferguson-teen/

The next day he participated in a Ferguson-area discussion on the Brown case. http://stlouis.cbslocal.com/2014/08/13/gov-nixon-this-tragedy-is-a-challenge-to-all-of-us/

[randys1]

2. He has the power to relieve those cops, ALL of them

he better do that and if he did the 50 million racist white Americans would go to war

[cstanleytech]

4. Really? I wasnt aware that the governor could fire a city police officer. nt

[randys1]

6. Of course he does, he is the governor...you think the city council or police chief

can do anything they want?

what if they broke the law, like they are now doing by over reacting to this situation and murdering a kid?

you think they cant be stopped?

[cstanleytech]

8. No I was thinking more along the lines of the fbi being called in.

But since you say he has such powers to fire them I wonder if he hasnt because he fears the chance that the state could be be held liable.

[randys1]

9. FBI too, but the governor has power over a local municipality or city

here is what the gov and Obama are afraid of, over 50 million, ie ALL teaparty and most repubs are racists, and want to either own or kill Black people, if Obama arrests a white person in a white black deal, they will burn down the country and so the gov and obama are afraid of that...

[ColesCountyDem]

31. Please provide a citation for the legal authority for Gov. Nixon to do this.

Thank you.

P.S. -- You won't find one.

[riversedge]

28. St. Louis County took over Ferguson law enforcement...

[ColesCountyDem]

32. No, they didn't.

They came to the mutual aid of the Ferguson P.D., which is quite common in law-enforcement, firefighting and E.M.S. . They are investigating the shooting, at the request of the Ferguson P.D., which s also common practice in officer-involved shootings.

[karynnj]

40. The Governor does not have the power unilaterally to remove a city official

I think he does have the power to call out the state's National Guard - assuming it is not completely in Afghanistan! This may - in all seriousness be the step he will have to take because working through the city has not been working. I think he, personally, should have been far more a presence than he was from the beginning. It is too late now to play an RFK like role of going to the black community expressing solidarity with them and calling for a full blown investigation - not just of the death, but of the type of practices that led to it.

There are procedures - that take time and are NOT necessarily a good first idea, under which states have taken control over cities. The ones I have heard of are usually triggered because of financial problems. The state of Michigan now controls everything in Detroit - and I doubt there are ANY people here on DU that think this is a good idea. In NJ, Camden has been controlled by the state as well. http://www.governing.com/columns/urban-notebook/col-pontiac-camden-pew-state-aid-municipal-financial-crisis.html Given the results in these places, one wonders if giving financial aid could have led to better results preserving people's rights.

[NaturalHigh]

11. Uh, I don't know where you heard that...

but no he doesn't. The governor can't just walk into Ferguson and fire those cops.

[ancianita]

14. right. But he can press the mayor to order the police chief to do it. Where's the mayor, anyway.

[NaturalHigh]

16. I have no idea.

In fact, I haven't heard anything about the mayor since this started.

[kelliekat44]

25. He can't "fire" them but he can order them out and the national guard in. nt

[jwirr]

35. That is the job of the city council and the mayor. Unfortunately they do not seem to be doing any of

that.

[Bjorn Against]

3. This is not a response

We want action Governor, your words ring very hollow when you don't even tell us what you are going to do. No one can afford to be patient and wait for the investigation when they are being shot at and gassed.

[blkmusclmachine]

26. Our elected DEMS don't DO "action." They just give pretty little prepared speeches and call it a day

[SamKnause]

5. Blah, blah, blah.

Same shit, different day, year, or decade.

What a useless statement.

[TheKentuckian]

7. Call out the guard, Governor

[Ellipsis]

10. Agreed.

[elleng]

19. Only use for the Guard would be to REPLACE the local who are screwing up so badly.

imo

[MrModerate]

20. And, depending on their discipline and leadership . . .

That could be either good or bad.

[elleng]

21. Yes, of course.

Their discipline and leadership should be better than the idiots in Ferguson/around St. Louis.

[MrModerate]

22. Two words: Kent State n/t

[elleng]

24. Right.

Watching History of the Eagles, and somewhere in it, a while ago, Kent State was mentioned. Sad night. Saw Dead Poets Society couple hours ago. Gotta stop, I think.

[MrModerate]

29. To change your mood, have a look at . . .

Williams' HBO special from New York (approx. 2004). It's on YouTube.

I was in tears, and not from sadness. It was positively transcendent. And very, very rude.

[jwirr]

37. Yes, so that leaves us with no one in authority that has a trustworthy means of ending this. IMO

the city council is going to have to recognize what is really going on here - a militarized police action against the people in order to protect a cop who shot an innocent person. They are going to have to take action to end this and it will not be sending in more bigots in soldier suits. This time the people are calling for justice and the white establishment are going to have to give it to them or they will end up with white people who support them heading for Furguson to take part in the demonstrations. This is going to get worse for the city and their puppet police force if they do not stop now. Enough.

[TheKentuckian]

33. Or to crush them if they don't stand down. They seem out of control to me, competence

can't be measured or even applied, they are in wild criminal mode.

[jwirr]

36. And that is the one thing he CAN do. But he won't.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

12. He's a Democrat. He should go there.

[vlakitti]

15. Bromides, cliches and stalls

Nothing more. If Mr. Nixon can't control the loony cops, he can ask the Justice Department for federal troops. It's a Jim Crow situation like Alabama 50 years ago and it needs to stop.

Does anyone think any other solution is viable?

[ColesCountyDem]

27. The Justice Department has nothng whatsoever to do with 'federal troops'. n/t

[Judi Lynn]

17. Gov. Jay Nixon is a tremendous governor, in a very radically right-wing state. n/t

[freebrew]

39. He does what he can...

State government has a veto-proof RWNJ majority of idiots and fools.

I really hope he's careful here. Not sure what power he may have except to declare an emergency.

Not even sure if MO even HAS a national guard anymore after *'s bullshit. Even so, they would probably be folks from the racist section of the state(95%?). Not good unless he directs them against the cops. Not likely.

[world wide wally]

23. Remember when they were called "peace officers"?

That was a long time ago in a country far far away.

[alcibiades_mystery]

30. "Respect the rights...blah blah" Tell the goddamned rampaging cops to stand the fuck down

Is this shithead the governor of the state or not?

I'm about to become a one-issue voter on police de-militarization, and if that means the fucking wilderness for shithead Democrats like Jay Nixon, so be it. What we saw last night was a RACIST POLICE RIOT in St. Louis County. An assault on an American town by a military force. And this is the governor's response? The democratic governor? FUCK YOU, Jay Nixon. get your head out of your ass and read the goddamn RIOT ACT to the Ferguson PD and the St. Louis County PD, and act like a fucking leader already. Your people are being terrorized by an out-of-control racist militia. This is HISTORY moment.

[L0oniX]

42. ^^^this^^^

[deminks]

34. If the cops job was to protect the public, they are way over the top.

It is becoming blatantly obvious that, at least in larger cities, the cops job now is to protect the rich.

Who bought those tanks, btw? Where did the money come from to buy those tanks? Maybe because I come from a smaller town, but I don't know many PD's who could afford all the military equipment. ??? And, in most states, it requires a declaration from the governor to borrow the tanks from the state militias.

IMHO.

[jwirr]

38. I heard and I may be wrong that these are equipment left over from Iraq and Aphganistan and that

they are getting them for bargain basement prices.

[SammyWinstonJack]

43. So the taxpayers paid and pay? And this time, pay to be intimated and harassed with these left over

war toys from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Niceeee!

[jwirr]

44. Exactly.

[blackspade]

41. Again, politicians put the onus on the public to

"demonstrate patience and calm while the investigation continues" while the cops escalate the situation in an effort to cover up a murder.

It's an effort to change the narrative.

[kiranon]

45. Voter registration is the answer.

Change the mayor, city council and everyone else with politicians from the community who will appoint a police chief who is open to community involvement and not military equipment left overs.