State of emergency declared in wake of renewed Ferguson violence

[alp227]

Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Police arrested more than a dozen protesters in St. Louis today who were demanding the dissolution of the Ferguson Police Department.

Meanwhile, St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger has declared a state of emergency and turned oversight of the Ferguson situation over to County Police Chief Jon Belmar, in the wake of at least three shooting incidents overnight Sunday.

"Chief Belmar shall exercise all powers and duties necessary to preserve order, prevent crimes, and protect the life and property of our citizens,” Stenger said in a statement issued early Monday afternoon.

The county executive decried the gunfire that marred an otherwise peaceful weekend of protesting around the first anniversary of the 2014 shooting of African American teen Michael Brown by a Ferguson police officer.

Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/state-of-emergency-declared-in-wake-of-renewed-ferguson-violence/article_7564c9cb-cc89-58cb-8787-4aaa91bcccaa.html

[seveneyes]

1. demanding the dissolution of the Ferguson Police Department

Sure, that will insure peace and curb looting and violence. I'm guessing business and home owners may have a different take on it.

[romanic]

2. Do those dozen protestors

actually live in the Ferguson area, or is this apart of the whole #cutthecheck crap I read about a couple days ago?

[maxsolomon]

3. I'd advocate a DOJ takeover

County oversight probably isn't going to fix the core of the problem

[jwirr]

4. I agree. As to the first poster thinking that getting rid of this particular police force. When that

happens another police force takes over - maybe St. Louis County. Although I am not sure that would be much different.

[Skidmore]

5. MSNBC interviewed a local woman

about 15 minutes ago who said that the people involved were not from the community. Has there been news from anylwhere else about what happened?

[seveneyes]

6. There is a video of some gunfire last night