orenbus
08-18-2014, 01:29 AM
Missouri governor orders National Guard to Ferguson after latest night of clashes
http://a57.foxnews.com/global.fncstatic.com/static/managed/img/876/493/Police%20Shooting%20Misso_Cham(8)360640.jpg?ve=1&tl=1
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/08/18/private-autopsy-on-michael-brown-reveals-that-was-shot-six-times-report-says/
Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon ordered National Guard troops to the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson early Monday after authorities used tear gas to clear the streets of protesters hours before a midnight curfew took effect for a second consecutive day, while a private autopsy on the unarmed black teen who was fatally shot by a white police officer reportedly showed six gunshot wounds, including two in the head.
"Tonight, a day of hope, prayers, and peaceful protests was marred by the violent criminal acts of an organized and growing number of individuals, many from outside the community and state, whose actions are putting the residents and businesses of Ferguson at risk," Nixon said in a statement released by his office. "I am directing the highly capable men and women of the Missouri National Guard to assist ... in restoring peace and order to this community."
As night fell, another peaceful protest quickly deteriorated after marchers pushed toward one end of a street. Police pushed them back by repeatedly firing tear gas, and the streets were empty well before the curfew took effect at midnight.
Authorities said they were responding to reports of gunfire, looting, vandalism and protesters who hurled Molotov cocktails.
"Based on the conditions, I had no alternative but to elevate the level of response," said Capt. Ron Johnson of the Missouri Highway Patrol, who is command in Ferguson.
At least two people wounded in shootings, he said. A Missouri Highway Patrol spokesman said that between seven and eight people were arrested.
The New York Times reported late Sunday that an autopsy on Michael Brown's body was carried out at the request of Michael Brown's family by Dr. Michael Baden, the former chief medical examiner for New York City.
Baden told the Times that one of the bullets struck the top of Brown's skull, suggesting that the 18-year-old's head was bent forward when he was shot. The doctor added that four of the six shots struck Brown in the right arm, and all the bullets entered from the teen's front. Only three of the bullets were recovered from Brown's body.
Baden did not have access to Brown's clothes, which may have gunpowder residue on them if the bullets were fired from close range. Baden also did not have access to X-rays that may have shown where the bullets were found, nor did he see any witness or police statements.
Brown was fatally shot by Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson on the afternoon of August 9 after a confrontation near Brown's grandmother's apartment. The shooting has prompted nationwide protests and the controversy has been augmented by the response from local authorities, who have used tear gas and smoke canisters against protesters and have been slow to release information about the deadly encounter.
Baden told The Times that his findings were not meant to resolve the controversy over the confrontation between Brown and Wilson.
"We need more information; for example, the police should be examining the automobile to see if there is gunshot residue in the police car," he told the paper.
Baden's autopsy was the first of three planned in the case. Attorney General Eric Holder on Sunday ordered a federal medical examiner to perform an autopsy in addition to the one planned by state authorities. Justice Department spokesman Brian Fallon said that the order was prompted by the "extraordinary circumstances" surrounding the case and the wishes of Brown's family.
"This independent examination will take place as soon as possible," Fallon said. "Even after it is complete, Justice Department officials still plan to take the state-performed autopsy into account in the course of their investigation."
Back in Ferguson, Sunday's clashes erupted three hours before the curfew imposed by Gov. Jay Nixon.
Officers in riot gear ordered all the protesters to disperse. Many of the marchers retreated, but a group of about 100 stood defiantly about two blocks away until getting hit by another volley of tear gas.
Protesters laid a line of cinder blocks across the street near the QuikTrip convenience store that was burned down last week. It was an apparent attempt to block police vehicles, but the vehicles easily plowed through. Someone set a nearby trash bin on fire, and the crackle of gunfire could be heard from several blocks away.
Within two hours, most people had been cleared off West Florissant Avenue, one of the community's main thoroughfares. The streets remained quiet as the curfew began. It was to remain in effect until 5 a.m.
Earlier in the day, Johnson said he had met members of Brown's family and the experience "brought tears to my eyes and shame to my heart."
"When this is over," he told the crowd, "I'm going to go in my son's room. My black son, who wears his pants sagging, who wears his hat cocked to the side, got tattoos on his arms, but that's my baby."
Johnson added: "We all need to thank the Browns for Michael. Because Michael's going to make it better for our sons to be better black men."
The Rev. Al Sharpton told the rally Brown's death was a "defining moment for this country."
Sharpton said he wants Congress to stop programs that provide military-style weaponry to police departments. He said he expects police to "smear" the slain teenager, his family and his attorneys. He also condemned the recent violence and looting in Ferguson.
Wilson, a six-year police veteran with no recorded complaints against him, has been on paid administrative leave since the shooting, and the department has refused to say anything about his whereabouts.
Missouri Governor Sends National Guard to Ferguson
http://a.abcnews.com/images/US/AP_Ferguson_tear_gas_bc_140817_16x9_992.jpg
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/police-deploy-tear-gas-impose-ferguson-curfew-25011848
Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon ordered the National Guard to Ferguson early Monday, hours after police used tear gas to clear protesters off the streets following a week of demonstrations against the fatal police shooting of a black Missouri teenager.
In a statement, Nixon said the National Guard would "help restore peace and order" to this the St. Louis suburb that has been filled almost nightly with angry, defiant crowds.
The latest confrontation came on the same day that Attorney General Eric Holder ordered a federal medical examiner to perform another autopsy on a black Missouri teenager who was fatally shot by a white police officer. A preliminary private autopsy found that Brown was shot at least six times, including twice in the head.
As night fell in Ferguson, another peaceful protest quickly deteriorated after marchers pushed toward one end of a street. Police pushed them back by repeatedly firing tear gas, and the streets were empty well before the curfew took effect at midnight.
Authorities said they were responding to reports of gunfire, looting, vandalism and protesters who hurled Molotov cocktails.
"Based on the conditions, I had no alternative but to elevate the level of response," said Capt. Ron Johnson of the Missouri Highway Patrol, who is command in Ferguson.
At least two people wounded in shootings, he said.
The "extraordinary circumstances" surrounding the death of 18-year-old Michael Brown and a request by Brown's family members prompted the Justice Department's decision to conduct a third autopsy, agency spokesman Brian Fallon said in a statement.
The examination was to take place as soon as possible, Fallon said.
The results of a state-performed autopsy would be taken into account along with the federal examination in the Justice Department investigation, Fallon said.
Dr. Michael Baden, a former New York City chief medical examiner, told The New York Times that one of the bullets entered the top of Brown's skull, suggesting that his head was bent forward when he suffered a fatal injury.
Brown was also shot four times in the right arm, and all the bullets were fired into his front, Baden said.
The Justice Department already had deepened its civil rights investigation into the shooting. A day earlier, officials said 40 FBI agents were going door-to-door gathering information in the Ferguson neighborhood where Brown, who was unarmed, was shot to death Aug. 9.
A federally conducted autopsy "more closely focused on entry point of projectiles, defensive wounds and bruises" might help that investigation, said David Weinstein, a former federal prosecutor who supervised the criminal civil rights section of Miami's U.S. attorney's office. The move is "not that unusual," he added.
Federal authorities also want to calm any public fears that no action will be taken on the case, Weinstein said.
Back in Ferguson, Sunday's clashes erupted three hours before the midnight curfew imposed by Gov. Jay Nixon.
Officers in riot gear ordered all the protesters to disperse. Many of the marchers retreated, but a group of about 100 stood defiantly about two blocks away until getting hit by another volley of tear gas.
Gov. Jay Nixon has signed an executive order deploying National Guard troops to Ferguson
http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/18/us/missouri-teen-shooting/index.html
Ferguson, Missouri (CNN) -- The chaos in Ferguson has gotten so bad that Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon has signed an executive order deploying National Guard troops to the St. Louis suburb.
"Given these deliberate, coordinated and intensifying violent attacks on lives and property in Ferguson, I am directing the highly capable men and women of the Missouri National Guard ... in restoring peace and order to this community," Nixon said in a statement.
Fresh violence late Sunday marked some of the fiercest clashes yet between police and protesters furious over the death of the unarmed teenager.
And the tensions continued escalating after autopsy results revealed teenager Michael Brown was shot six times.
The tumult that led to an intensified police crackdown began with the shootings of two civilians Sunday night and continued after protesters threw Molotov cocktails at police, Missouri State Highway Patrol Capt. Ron Johnson said.
"A Sunday that started with prayers ... took a very different turn after dark," Johnson said.
He said several businesses were vandalized or looted as peaceful protesters demonstrated against Brown's death.
Such criminal acts were "pre-planned agitation," not civil disobedience, he said.
"Based on these conditions, I had no alternative but to elevate the level of our response."
Officers fired tear gas into a crowd of hundreds of protesters, including children, who were marching toward a police command post despite an impending midnight curfew.
St. Louis County police said several protesters had thrown Molotov cocktails toward the officers before authorities shot tear gas toward them.
But protester Lisha Williams challenged that narrative.
"That is a lie. It was no fight, it was no shots fired," Williams told CNN late Sunday night. "All we did was march to the command center to fall to our knees and say, 'Don't shoot.' And they started shooting."
The clashes kept escalating, with the St. Charles County sheriff's officials saying shots were fired in their direction.
St. Louis County police said at least two people had been shot in Ferguson, but not by police. The spokesman also said most of the crowds had dispersed after midnight.
http://a57.foxnews.com/global.fncstatic.com/static/managed/img/876/493/Police%20Shooting%20Misso_Cham(8)360640.jpg?ve=1&tl=1
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/08/18/private-autopsy-on-michael-brown-reveals-that-was-shot-six-times-report-says/
Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon ordered National Guard troops to the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson early Monday after authorities used tear gas to clear the streets of protesters hours before a midnight curfew took effect for a second consecutive day, while a private autopsy on the unarmed black teen who was fatally shot by a white police officer reportedly showed six gunshot wounds, including two in the head.
"Tonight, a day of hope, prayers, and peaceful protests was marred by the violent criminal acts of an organized and growing number of individuals, many from outside the community and state, whose actions are putting the residents and businesses of Ferguson at risk," Nixon said in a statement released by his office. "I am directing the highly capable men and women of the Missouri National Guard to assist ... in restoring peace and order to this community."
As night fell, another peaceful protest quickly deteriorated after marchers pushed toward one end of a street. Police pushed them back by repeatedly firing tear gas, and the streets were empty well before the curfew took effect at midnight.
Authorities said they were responding to reports of gunfire, looting, vandalism and protesters who hurled Molotov cocktails.
"Based on the conditions, I had no alternative but to elevate the level of response," said Capt. Ron Johnson of the Missouri Highway Patrol, who is command in Ferguson.
At least two people wounded in shootings, he said. A Missouri Highway Patrol spokesman said that between seven and eight people were arrested.
The New York Times reported late Sunday that an autopsy on Michael Brown's body was carried out at the request of Michael Brown's family by Dr. Michael Baden, the former chief medical examiner for New York City.
Baden told the Times that one of the bullets struck the top of Brown's skull, suggesting that the 18-year-old's head was bent forward when he was shot. The doctor added that four of the six shots struck Brown in the right arm, and all the bullets entered from the teen's front. Only three of the bullets were recovered from Brown's body.
Baden did not have access to Brown's clothes, which may have gunpowder residue on them if the bullets were fired from close range. Baden also did not have access to X-rays that may have shown where the bullets were found, nor did he see any witness or police statements.
Brown was fatally shot by Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson on the afternoon of August 9 after a confrontation near Brown's grandmother's apartment. The shooting has prompted nationwide protests and the controversy has been augmented by the response from local authorities, who have used tear gas and smoke canisters against protesters and have been slow to release information about the deadly encounter.
Baden told The Times that his findings were not meant to resolve the controversy over the confrontation between Brown and Wilson.
"We need more information; for example, the police should be examining the automobile to see if there is gunshot residue in the police car," he told the paper.
Baden's autopsy was the first of three planned in the case. Attorney General Eric Holder on Sunday ordered a federal medical examiner to perform an autopsy in addition to the one planned by state authorities. Justice Department spokesman Brian Fallon said that the order was prompted by the "extraordinary circumstances" surrounding the case and the wishes of Brown's family.
"This independent examination will take place as soon as possible," Fallon said. "Even after it is complete, Justice Department officials still plan to take the state-performed autopsy into account in the course of their investigation."
Back in Ferguson, Sunday's clashes erupted three hours before the curfew imposed by Gov. Jay Nixon.
Officers in riot gear ordered all the protesters to disperse. Many of the marchers retreated, but a group of about 100 stood defiantly about two blocks away until getting hit by another volley of tear gas.
Protesters laid a line of cinder blocks across the street near the QuikTrip convenience store that was burned down last week. It was an apparent attempt to block police vehicles, but the vehicles easily plowed through. Someone set a nearby trash bin on fire, and the crackle of gunfire could be heard from several blocks away.
Within two hours, most people had been cleared off West Florissant Avenue, one of the community's main thoroughfares. The streets remained quiet as the curfew began. It was to remain in effect until 5 a.m.
Earlier in the day, Johnson said he had met members of Brown's family and the experience "brought tears to my eyes and shame to my heart."
"When this is over," he told the crowd, "I'm going to go in my son's room. My black son, who wears his pants sagging, who wears his hat cocked to the side, got tattoos on his arms, but that's my baby."
Johnson added: "We all need to thank the Browns for Michael. Because Michael's going to make it better for our sons to be better black men."
The Rev. Al Sharpton told the rally Brown's death was a "defining moment for this country."
Sharpton said he wants Congress to stop programs that provide military-style weaponry to police departments. He said he expects police to "smear" the slain teenager, his family and his attorneys. He also condemned the recent violence and looting in Ferguson.
Wilson, a six-year police veteran with no recorded complaints against him, has been on paid administrative leave since the shooting, and the department has refused to say anything about his whereabouts.
Missouri Governor Sends National Guard to Ferguson
http://a.abcnews.com/images/US/AP_Ferguson_tear_gas_bc_140817_16x9_992.jpg
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/police-deploy-tear-gas-impose-ferguson-curfew-25011848
Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon ordered the National Guard to Ferguson early Monday, hours after police used tear gas to clear protesters off the streets following a week of demonstrations against the fatal police shooting of a black Missouri teenager.
In a statement, Nixon said the National Guard would "help restore peace and order" to this the St. Louis suburb that has been filled almost nightly with angry, defiant crowds.
The latest confrontation came on the same day that Attorney General Eric Holder ordered a federal medical examiner to perform another autopsy on a black Missouri teenager who was fatally shot by a white police officer. A preliminary private autopsy found that Brown was shot at least six times, including twice in the head.
As night fell in Ferguson, another peaceful protest quickly deteriorated after marchers pushed toward one end of a street. Police pushed them back by repeatedly firing tear gas, and the streets were empty well before the curfew took effect at midnight.
Authorities said they were responding to reports of gunfire, looting, vandalism and protesters who hurled Molotov cocktails.
"Based on the conditions, I had no alternative but to elevate the level of response," said Capt. Ron Johnson of the Missouri Highway Patrol, who is command in Ferguson.
At least two people wounded in shootings, he said.
The "extraordinary circumstances" surrounding the death of 18-year-old Michael Brown and a request by Brown's family members prompted the Justice Department's decision to conduct a third autopsy, agency spokesman Brian Fallon said in a statement.
The examination was to take place as soon as possible, Fallon said.
The results of a state-performed autopsy would be taken into account along with the federal examination in the Justice Department investigation, Fallon said.
Dr. Michael Baden, a former New York City chief medical examiner, told The New York Times that one of the bullets entered the top of Brown's skull, suggesting that his head was bent forward when he suffered a fatal injury.
Brown was also shot four times in the right arm, and all the bullets were fired into his front, Baden said.
The Justice Department already had deepened its civil rights investigation into the shooting. A day earlier, officials said 40 FBI agents were going door-to-door gathering information in the Ferguson neighborhood where Brown, who was unarmed, was shot to death Aug. 9.
A federally conducted autopsy "more closely focused on entry point of projectiles, defensive wounds and bruises" might help that investigation, said David Weinstein, a former federal prosecutor who supervised the criminal civil rights section of Miami's U.S. attorney's office. The move is "not that unusual," he added.
Federal authorities also want to calm any public fears that no action will be taken on the case, Weinstein said.
Back in Ferguson, Sunday's clashes erupted three hours before the midnight curfew imposed by Gov. Jay Nixon.
Officers in riot gear ordered all the protesters to disperse. Many of the marchers retreated, but a group of about 100 stood defiantly about two blocks away until getting hit by another volley of tear gas.
Gov. Jay Nixon has signed an executive order deploying National Guard troops to Ferguson
http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/18/us/missouri-teen-shooting/index.html
Ferguson, Missouri (CNN) -- The chaos in Ferguson has gotten so bad that Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon has signed an executive order deploying National Guard troops to the St. Louis suburb.
"Given these deliberate, coordinated and intensifying violent attacks on lives and property in Ferguson, I am directing the highly capable men and women of the Missouri National Guard ... in restoring peace and order to this community," Nixon said in a statement.
Fresh violence late Sunday marked some of the fiercest clashes yet between police and protesters furious over the death of the unarmed teenager.
And the tensions continued escalating after autopsy results revealed teenager Michael Brown was shot six times.
The tumult that led to an intensified police crackdown began with the shootings of two civilians Sunday night and continued after protesters threw Molotov cocktails at police, Missouri State Highway Patrol Capt. Ron Johnson said.
"A Sunday that started with prayers ... took a very different turn after dark," Johnson said.
He said several businesses were vandalized or looted as peaceful protesters demonstrated against Brown's death.
Such criminal acts were "pre-planned agitation," not civil disobedience, he said.
"Based on these conditions, I had no alternative but to elevate the level of our response."
Officers fired tear gas into a crowd of hundreds of protesters, including children, who were marching toward a police command post despite an impending midnight curfew.
St. Louis County police said several protesters had thrown Molotov cocktails toward the officers before authorities shot tear gas toward them.
But protester Lisha Williams challenged that narrative.
"That is a lie. It was no fight, it was no shots fired," Williams told CNN late Sunday night. "All we did was march to the command center to fall to our knees and say, 'Don't shoot.' And they started shooting."
The clashes kept escalating, with the St. Charles County sheriff's officials saying shots were fired in their direction.
St. Louis County police said at least two people had been shot in Ferguson, but not by police. The spokesman also said most of the crowds had dispersed after midnight.