[Thanos]

Massive change in tone, tension apparently defusing, as the state highway patrol takes over the situation from the local PD. Police now marching alongside protestors instead of confronting them.

$1:

FERGUSON, Mo. — Suddenly, everything has changed.

The heavy riot armor, the SWAT trucks with sniper posts, the hostile glares: tonight in Ferguson they were gone.

A stunning change in tone radiated through the suburban streets where protests had turned violent each of the last four evenings following the police shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown.

But Thursday night, when more than a thousand protesters descended on the remains of QuickTrip – which was burned during riots on Sunday – they had a new leader.

The man at the front of the march, was Missouri Highway Patrol Capt. Ronald S. Johnson, a Ferguson native.

“I’m not afraid to be in this crowd,” Johnson declared to reporters.

Johnson, a towering African American man who wiped sweat from his brow as he pointed out neighborhood hangouts and restaurants he used to frequent, was put in charge of crowd control earlier in the day, replacing the St. Louis County police who had been overseeing the police response to the protests.

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon (D) announced Thursday afternoon that Johnson would take over security, and vowed that officers would take a different approach to handling the massive crowds that have taken to Ferguson’s streets each night.

[xerxes]

Yeah it's like night and day. From police fail to police win. That whole police department needs to be fired for treating their charges like the enemy.

[martin14]

xerxes xerxes:

Yeah it's like night and day. From police fail to police win. That whole police department needs to be fired for treating their charges like the enemy.

It's easy for the Highway patrol (and you) to come in now..

All the real looting and violence was done days ago.

[DrCaleb]

xerxes xerxes:

Even though I just dissed twitter, here some interesting tweets from ex-service members.

https://storify.com/AthertonKD/veterans-on-ferguson

From that link:

$1:

JimmySky
James Skylar Gerrond@JimmySky
In the USAF, we did crowd control and riot training every year. Lesson 1: Your mere presence has the potential to escalate the situation.

Now the State Police have taken over, and look at the difference! That is my entire opposition (and I suspect Bart's) to the militarization of Police forces across North America. A Mountie riding a bike through a river valley park, I can talk to like a human being. A Cop in Riot gear on top of an MRAP pointing an M249 at me I cannot talk to.

That site also reminds me why I will never, ever sign up for Twitter. What a waste of time!

[BeaverFever]

And now they've just released the name of the officer. I'm pretty agnostic about releasiing the names of police officers - I can see both sides of the debate - but this should help de-escalate the situation as well.

[andyt]

I hope he has somewhere safe to stay.

[BartSimpson]

Giving credit where credit is due I have to say I'm very pleased with Obama and a growing number of Democrats who are starting to pay attention to the militarized and militant cop behavior. Maybe, just maybe, they'll put forth some meaningful legislation that will dial in the abuse of these tactical teams and their military capabilities.

[andyt]

BartSimpson BartSimpson:

Giving credit where credit is due I have to say I'm very pleased with Obama and a growing number of Democrats who are starting to pay attention to the militarized and militant cop behavior. Maybe, just maybe, they'll put forth some meaningful legislation that will dial in the abuse of these tactical teams and their military capabilities.

The reason this weaponry is in the hands of PDs, is because the US military gives it away for free. Might want to look at that practice.

Also, for large riots, your country has called out the National Guard before. When things really go up, like Watts or Detroit, you probably want some of that stuff. But in a smaller situation like this, confronting people with tripod mounted machine guns on heavily armored vehicles isn't going to calm things down.

[Regina]

Military behavior and military capabilities are two very different things and shouldn't be lumped together. Having the capabilities to meet and exceed criminal actions, is obviously safe practice. Super Trooper mentality needs to be stopped.

[BRAH]

Former NYPD Commissioner Kerik said in a post 9/11 World larger cities like Boston, Los Angeles, New York where a more dangerous criminal element is armed to the teeth needs Ex Military Equipment etc for their tactical teams as they have the required training where as smaller towns like Ferguson don't.

‘You will die': Naming of officer who shot Michael Brown brings out death wishes

http://twitchy.com/2014/08/15/you-will-die-naming-of-officer-who-shot-michael-brown-brings-out-death-wishes/?utm_source=autotweet&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=twitter
___

[BartSimpson]

Regina Regina:

Military behavior and military capabilities are two very different things and shouldn't be lumped together. Having the capabilities to meet and exceed criminal actions, is obviously safe practice. Super Trooper mentality needs to be stopped.

This.

[BeaverFever]

$1:

The reason this weaponry is in the hands of PDs, is because the US military gives it away for free. Might want to look at that practice.

Also military gear is often provided to law enforcment on a use it or lose it basis.:

Between 2011 and 2012, sixty-three agencies polled by the A.C.L.U. reported that they had received “a total of 15,054 items of battle uniforms or personal protective equipment”; some five hundred agencies had received “vehicles built to withstand armor-piercing roadside bombs.” In many instances, the receipt of these military-grade weapons is contingent on their use within a calendar year.

[martin14]

BRAH BRAH:

Former NYPD Commissioner Kerik said in a post 9/11 World larger cities like Boston, Los Angeles, New York where a more dangerous criminal element is armed to the teeth needs Ex Military Equipment etc for their tactical teams as they have the required training where as smaller towns like Ferguson don't.

‘You will die': Naming of officer who shot Michael Brown brings out death wishes

http://twitchy.com/2014/08/15/you-will-die-naming-of-officer-who-shot-michael-brown-brings-out-death-wishes/?utm_source=autotweet&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=twitter
___

You're surprised ?

I'm not.


Now, let's see all the police hunt down everyone who tweeted a death threat.

Sure.


Hopefully the cop is long gone, like to New Hampshire or something.... or Canada.

[BartSimpson]

Funny thing; Officer Darren Wilson is black.

[Regina]

BartSimpson BartSimpson:

Funny thing; Officer Darren Wilson is black.

Oh..