Missouri Governor Jay Nixon declared a state of emergency and a mandatory curfew Saturday in response to the ongoing unrest over the shooting death of teenager Michael Brown. Meanwhile, community members band together to clean up the mess.
A curfew has been enacted in a Missouri state briefing on the situation in Ferguson, Missouri.
Two days ago House Majority Leader John Diehl, R-Town and Country, requested that Gov. Jay Nixon declare a state of emergency in Ferguson and impose a curfew in the St. Louis County “corridor” that has seen violence.
Diehl said that under a state of emergency, the state, through agencies such as the Missouri Highway Patrol, could coordinate the response from all law enforcement agencies involved.
The governor of Missouri Jay Nixon declared a state of emergency and a curfew in the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson on Saturday afternoon about 3:20 p.m., after riots that resulted after a police officer shot an unarmed black 18-year-old.
A contentious and volatile crowd of community members included a question that asked why the police officer who shot unarmed teenager Michael Brown has not yet been arrested and charged with murder. Another person in the crowd asked Missouri Highway Patrol Captain Ron Johnson how authorities were going to enforce the curfew, “Are you going to use tear gas again? Are you bringing back military force?”
In wake of Ferguson, growing police use of military equipment faces scrutiny http://t.co/GzdUkcBafe pic.twitter.com/ga4DCyC1m7
— Chicago Tribune (@chicagotribune) August 16, 2014
A look at how the Pentagon's equipment has spread to America's police forces http://t.co/h5ZoTwsUxT pic.twitter.com/VNTkODxxXQ
— Washington Post (@washingtonpost) August 16, 2014
An angry crowd spoke over authorities, Governor Jay Nixon and Missouri Highway Patrol Captain Ron Johnson, who had a more authoritative tone compared to the encouraging and hopeful tone he used when he was introduced as the new leader in the change of command in Ferguson, Missouri on Thursday.
The curfew announcement and State of Emergency comes after looting and the response of armored vehicles, police in riot gear, and tear gas returned to Ferguson early morning Saturday. A brief period of peaceful demonstrations faded to a phase of violent rioting and looting, which surprised some people.
Protesters and police at 1:30 a.m. Saturday were in a standoff on the streets of Ferguson, Missouri where looting has recommenced.
Protests in Ferguson, Missouri continued into the night Friday as high-profile civil rights activist Jesse Jackson came to cheer-on protesters.
The new round of protests came at nightfall after police identified the police officer who fired the fatal shots, and the Ferguson police chief announced that the officer who shot Michael Brown did not know he was a suspect in a strong armed robbery that just occurred.
Days later, still little info from police on #MichaelBrown shooting. Was he shot in back? Again in face as rumor is spreading on streets
— Wesley Lowery (@WesleyLowery) August 13, 2014
Days later, still little info from police on #MichaelBrown shooting. Was he shot in back? Again in face as rumor is spreading on streets
— Wesley Lowery (@WesleyLowery) August 13, 2014
PHOTOS: Friday was another tense night in #Ferguson http://t.co/vFIg5qqvX7
UPDATES: http://t.co/4xzYlRUG8w pic.twitter.com/Fbj6go2Q2a
— Chicago Sun-Times (@Suntimes) August 16, 2014
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