Police shouldn't have bayonets and heavy military vehicles, the war on drugs "has gone a little overboard," and the officer in New York at whose hands Eric Garner died "probably shouldn't … be a policeman any more," U.S. Sen. Rand Paul said in Jackson on Monday.

Paul of Kentucky, a potential GOP presidential candidate in 2016, brought his libertarian-leaning messages to Mississippi Republicans at a fundraiser for the state party on Monday. Before the $250-a-plate luncheon, which was closed to the public and media, Paul held a press conference, joined by Gov. Phil Bryant, U.S. Rep. Gregg Harper and state GOP Chairman Joe Nosef.

"(Paul) represents something very important to us," Nosef said, "at the same time being able to stand on principle and expand the party … He's been a unifying figure and at the same time been a leader in bringing us back to our core beliefs."

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