Ferguson, Mo. — Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon declared a state of emergency in Ferguson on Saturday and imposed a midnight-to-5 a.m. curfew to stop the violence that has rocked this St. Louis suburb for a week.
The governor announced the declaration Saturday during a long and often acrimonious meeting with the community at a Ferguson church. Nixon and the State Patrol officials in charge of keeping the peace in the city often were interrupted by angry calls from the crowd, including a woman who demanded, "Why are you talking about security and not talking about justice?" and a man who shouted "What about justice for Michael Brown?"
The death of Brown, an unarmed black teenager shot by a white police officer Aug. 9, sparked the often violent demonstrations in Ferguson.
"If we're going to achieve justice, we must first have and maintain peace," Nixon replied. "This is a test. The eyes of the world are watching. This is a test of whether a community . . . can break the cycle of fear, distrust and violence and replace them with peace, strength and ultimately justice. . . . We cannot let the ill will of the few undermine the good will of the many."
The renewed violence and looting Friday night and Saturday morning came after the city police made the surprise announcement that Brown was suspected in the theft of $48.99 worth of cigars from a convenience store, a crime that occurred not long before Brown was stopped and shot by police. Looters ransacked that same convenience store Friday night, but they ultimately were turned back by peaceful protesters who formed a cordon at the store and shouted at the looters to stay out.
"Like all the world, I've actually seen over the past few days tremendous acts of grace, generosity and courage," Nixon said. "Just last night, the courage and resolve of peaceful protesters who stood up against violent instigators, volunteers coming forward, even in this morning's steady rain, to help their neighbors clean up."
But many in the community weren't appeased.
"We are sick and tired of brutality against young African-American men, who are being killed and murdered and slaughtered," said Rodell Taylor. "We have legit concerns in our community. How do you get gunned down walking in the middle of the street. In America?"
Taylor's frustration was shared by the crowd during Saturday's press conference. Nixon, who appeared shaken at times, was constantly shouted down by protesters.
"If Mike Brown shot a cop, he would be in jail right now," someone yelled at the flustered governor.
"Why hasn't the officer been indicted?" was a constant refrain.
A theft from a convenience store
Ferguson Police Chief Thomas Jackson on Friday identified the officer who shot Brown and also released a 19-page report and video of the convenience store theft. Jackson made contradictory statements Friday, first saying that Brown was stopped because he was a suspect in the theft and later saying that the stop was unrelated to the theft. In that instance, Jackson said Brown and a friend were stopped because they were walking down the middle of the street.
Jackson said the officer in the Aug. 9 shooting as Darren Wilson, 28, who served two years on the force of a neighboring city and has been with the Ferguson police for four years. Chief Jackson said Wilson, who is on paid administrative leave, has no record of disciplinary actions or complaints against him. He described Wilson as “a gentle, quiet man” who had been “an excellent officer.” His whereabouts is unknown.
The New York Times, quoting an unidentified U.S. Justice Department official, reported Saturday that the Justice Department had asked the Ferguson police not to release the surveillance video that purports to show Brown stealing the cigars and strong-arming a store worker. The federal authorities expressed concern that the tape would stir up more unrest in the city.
On Friday night, after two days of relative calm, the protest suddenly turned violent. Looters struck several stores, including a beauty shop where they stole thousands of dollars worth of hair extensions and weaves. Police did not respond to the incidents.
“This what we were fearing, behind the release of the video,” the Rev. Ronald Bobo, pastor of West Side Missionary Baptist Church in unincorporated St. Louis County, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution early Saturday. “It was inflammatory. It seems that they were blaming the victim at this point. I think some of that may have been it.”
Family attorney Daryl Parks acknowledged that the man shown in the surveillance footage “appears to be” Brown. But he said Brown’s family was blindsided by the allegations and release of the footage. They said that even if it were Brown, the crime didn’t justify the shooting of a teenager after he put up his hands in surrender to the officer, as witnesses allege.
The surveillance video shows a man wearing a ball cap, shorts and white T-shirt grabbing a much shorter man by his shirt near the store’s door. The police report alleges that the man believed to be Brown grabbed the store worker, who had come out from behind the store counter, and “forcefully pushed him back” into a display rack.
Police said they found evidence of the stolen merchandise on Brown’s body.
'Hands Up. Don't Shoot.'
During the day Friday, television news crews camped out at a burned-out QuickTrip, which has become ground zero for the protesters. In the rain, protesters lined the streets shouting, “Hands Up. Don’t Shoot,” and “No Justice. No Peace.”
Volunteers gave out water and a drummer pepped up the crowd. The Rev. Jesse Jackson, who had been in Atlanta early Friday, marched through the crowd and led them in chants.
The overnight outbursts, involving about 200 people, police said, lasted from about 11:30 p.m. Friday until about 5:30 a.m.
Missouri State Patrol Capt. Ron Johnson was appointed by the governor on Thursday to take charge of security in Ferguson after local police used tear gas and rubber bullets on protesters earlier in the week. According to the Associated Press, Johnson confirmed the looting just before midnight and said some in the crowd began throwing rocks and other objects at police.
But officers made no arrests and backed off to try to ease the tension, Johnson said.
“We had to evaluate the security of the officers there and also the rioters,” Johnson said. “We just felt it was better to move back.”
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