State of Emergency Declared In Ferguson: It's Back...

[Formaldehyde]

State of emergency declared in Ferguson

ERGUSON, Mo. — St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger declared a state of emergency Monday after Ferguson protests on the anniversary of the fatal shooting of Michael Brown by a police officer turned violent overnight.

"In light of last night's violence and unrest in the city of Ferguson, and the potential for harm to persons and property, I am exercising my authority as county executive to issue a state of emergency effective immediately," Stenger said in a statement. "The recent acts of violence will not be tolerated in a community that has worked so tirelessly over the last year to rebuild and become stronger."

St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar is immediately taking control of policing in Ferguson, under the order.

At least three people were shot and four arrested overnight Monday as peaceful protests on Sunday became violent. Belmar told a news conference at 3:30 a.m. that one suspect who was shot by police is in "critical, unstable" condition in a local hospital and undergoing surgery.

Belmar said that after a shootout between at least six people, the suspect ran away but then shot at police who were chasing him in an unmarked vehicle with emergency lights flashing.

Four detectives got out of their car and shot at the suspect, hitting him several times, according to police. All four officers have been placed on administrative leave.

"There is a small group of people out there who are intent on making sure we don't have peace that prevails,” Belmar said. "That's just the bottom line on this and that’s just unfortunate...We can't afford to have this kind of violence."

Moments after the shots were fired, a young woman screamed, "They shot my brother."

The man's identity wasn't clear, but the St. Louis Post-Dispatch identified him as Tyrone Harris, 18, a close friend of Brown's.

It seems like a knee-jerk reaction to me which is quite similar to the last time.

 

[Kaitzilla]

Knee jerk?

3 people got shot.
The 18 year old who is critical and in unstable condition might not make it.



Ya, Ferguson is back

That USA today video at the top of the link is nuts.
So many people and so much gunfire.

 

[Formaldehyde]

It was apparently a simple crime which had nothing to do with the protests. So yes, the response seems to be quite knee-jerk.

But this photo seems to be quite disturbing. Is that an unarmed black youth who has been shot numerous times? But instead of receiving medical aid he has been handcuffed and his medical problems ignored by at least two nearby cops? Have the local cops still not learned anything a year later? Do they think he is going to reanimate from using PCP or meth and attack them?

 

[Zkribbler]

... instead of receiving medical aid he has been handcuffed and his medical problems ignored by at least two nearby cops?

That's one possible interpretation of that photo. Another could be that the cop on the left and just picked up the kid's pistol and is securing it while the cop of the right is arriving on the scene. At this early point in time, we just don't know.

 

[Gary Childress]

Tragedy on top of tragedy. For everyone's safety, whoever is organizing these rallies maybe ought to quit. It sounds like it's creating a dangerous situation on both sides of the picket line. Tempers flare and people get hurt.

However, clearly something needs to be done to redress the grievances of the black community.

 

[Formaldehyde]

That's one possible interpretation of that photo. Another could be that the cop on the left and just picked up the kid's pistol and is securing it while the cop of the right is arriving on the scene. At this early point in time, we just don't know.

There was no pistol. But let's not let the facts get in the way of why the cops feel the need to handcuff people who have been shot multiple times instead of immediately rendering aid.

Tragedy on top of tragedy. For everyone's safety, whoever is organizing these rallies maybe ought to quit. It sounds like it's creating a dangerous situation on both sides of the picket line. Tempers flare and people get hurt.

However, clearly something needs to be done to redress the grievances of the black community.

Again, according to the reports this gunfire apparently had nothing whatsoever to do with the protests. It was an argument between two small groups of men. It was just a coincidence.

However, an incredibly large number of shots were fired. And many of them seem to have come from nearby police who were on the scene to arrest any uppity protestors.

 

[Timsup2nothin]

There was no pistol. But let's not let the facts get in the way of why the cops feel the need to handcuff people who have been shot multiple times instead of immediately rendering aid.

There is no indication in the story you linked and quoted that the guy who got shot was unarmed. The story says that he was fleeing the scene of a gunfight and that he fired at the cops. While I'm not always willing to just take the cops at their word I do not see where you come up with the definitive "There was no pistol" with attached attitude. If you have a more interesting story to link that supports your claim, or at least doesn't directly oppose it, great.

 

[Zkribbler]

For everyone's safety, whoever is organizing these rallies maybe ought to quit.

Formaldehyde is of the opinion that the shootings involved some criminal conduct unrelated to the protests, and thus calling for organizers to quit is a purposely act.

Similarly, if this shooting incident involves only a dust up between some local thugs or something, then the County declaring a State of Emergency and taking control of the Furguson Police Department appears to be a panicked overreaction.

 

[Zkribbler]

There is no indication in the story you linked and quoted that the guy who got shot was unarmed. The story says that he was fleeing the scene of a gunfight and that he fired at the cops. While I'm not always willing to just take the cops at their word I do not see where you come up with the definitive "There was no pistol" with attached attitude. If you have a more interesting story to link that supports your claim, or at least doesn't directly oppose it, great.

IIRC, it was CNN which showed pictures of the police's windshield with bullet holes in it.

 

[Formaldehyde]

There is no indication in the story you linked and quoted that the guy who got shot was unarmed. The story says that he was fleeing the scene of a gunfight and that he fired at the cops. While I'm not always willing to just take the cops at their word I do not see where you come up with the definitive "There was no pistol" with attached attitude. If you have a more interesting story to link that supports your claim, or at least doesn't directly oppose it, great.

The story addressed the issue of why a "state of emergency" was called for a shooting that apparently had nothing to do with the protests.

The kid apparently had no gun in his possession from the reports on CNN.

 

[Timsup2nothin]

Formaldehyde is of the opinion that the shootings involved some criminal conduct unrelated to the protests, and thus calling for organizers to quit is a purposely act.

Similarly, if this shooting incident involves only a dust up between some local thugs or something, then the County declaring a State of Emergency and taking control of the Furguson Police Department appears to be a panicked overreaction.

The FPD has not really demonstrated that they are capable of dealing with the aftermath of this, even if it was just a routine dustup between groups of thugs. I would not trust them to handle the aftermath of a parking lot fender bender between two grannies, but perhaps I am overly pessimistic.

 

[Timsup2nothin]

IIRC, it was CNN which showed pictures of the police's windshield with bullet holes in it.

The story as linked refers to two police vehicles damaged by gunfire.

 

[Formaldehyde]

Here's more details, including that they found no gun on the suspect and a video has audio of nearby protestors yelling at the cops to help him as he laid dying in the street:

Ferguson protesters arrested as county declares state of emergency

 

[Gary Childress]

Formaldehyde is of the opinion that the shootings involved some criminal conduct unrelated to the protests, and thus calling for organizers to quit is a purposely act.

Similarly, if this shooting incident involves only a dust up between some local thugs or something, then the County declaring a State of Emergency and taking control of the Furguson Police Department appears to be a panicked overreaction.

Purposely act?

EDIT: Do you mean "purposeless"?

 

[Paul in Saudi]

I was lied to by everyone too much last time. I am not even reading news reports until adults arrive and begin to sort things out.

 

[Gary Childress]

Chomsky on the issue:


Link to video.

"It's OK to condemn a racist sheriff in Alabama, but not those in power."

 

[Timsup2nothin]

Here's more details, including that they found no gun on the suspect and a video has audio of nearby protestors yelling at the cops to help him as he laid dying in the street:

Ferguson protesters arrested as county declares state of emergency

If CNN doesn't have enough faith in their breathless on scene reporters to mention that they found no gun on the suspect in their attached text, why should I have that much faith in them?

 

[Zkribbler]

Purposely act?

EDIT: Do you mean "purposeless"?

Yes, sorry for the maladroit typing.

 

[Gary Childress]

Yes, sorry for the maladroit typing.

No worries. I didn't realize the shootings were separate from the protests. I had assumed they were tied together somewhere along the line.

 

[EgonSpengler]

Apparently some bozos with rifles are walking around "keeping the peace." They call themselves The Oath Keepers, a vigilante militia opposed to the federal government who claim to defend the Constitution.