Ferguson, MO is a warzone.

[Gravekeeper]

What the actual fuck is going on down there? Holy shit. The cops are indistinguishable from a paramilitary guerrilla group and are just sweeping the neighbourhood firing rubber bullets and tear gas at anyone and everyone that moves. While demanding no one film them. They've chased all of the news media out of the area so all live feeds have gone dark.

Arresting reporters, teargassing news crews and they even have a no fly zone set up vs private aircraft in a 3 mile radius for 3000 feet and under. So no news helicopters can get close to get aerial footage of whats going on.

How is ANY of this remotely okay in a functioning democracy? They've straight up declared war on their own community and seem completely oblivious to how utterly insane it looks from the outside.

[Crazedclerkthe2nd]

Yeah it's pretty bad. It's like the whole place has time warped back to the 1960s civil rights era.

And, like Trayvon Martin, it all started with the killing of an unarmed black kid walking down the street.

[Racket_Man]

The problem with Ferguson MO is that for quite a while now it was the getto of the North St. Louis County area. Not a nice place to live in (but the surrounding suburbs were nice and well off). That area has ALWAYS had problems.

[Hyena Dandy]

Arresting reporters, teargassing news crews and they even have a no fly zone set up vs private aircraft in a 3 mile radius for 3000 feet and under. So no news helicopters can get close to get aerial footage of whats going on.

And blockades on the roads, so no-one goes in or out.

But that's what really bugged me, and to me, takes away all the credibility from the police down there. We had reporters in Vietnam. Ernie Pyle got shot on Iejima. Sure, if you're actively raiding a gang hideout or something, I can get behind saying no cameras, while we do this. But keeping reporters out of an entire town? That's bullshit.

[Greenday]

People are rioting every night and trying to destroy the town and you are worried about the cops using standard riot control techniques to try to stop it? Wow.

And the cops didn't actually set up a no-fly zone. That was a lie. The FAA did it.

[Canarr]

Standard riot control techniques? Like arresting reporters in a McDonalds?

http://gawker.com/washington-post-hu...son-1621284034

Where, exactly, is that riot control?

[BlaqueKatt]

Standard riot control techniques? Like arresting reporters in a McDonalds?

also pretty sure the senator and the Al Jazeera news crew weren't rioting(canister fired directly *at*the news crew), they were firing tear gas INTO PEOPLE'S PRIVATE BACKYARDS. Where no one was protesting.

[lordlundar]

People are rioting every night and trying to destroy the town and you are worried about the cops using standard riot control techniques to try to stop it? Wow.

Oh you mean like having riot lines at a peaceful protest and forcing the protestors back until there was a confrontation while areas that the damage was being done doesn't have an officer anywhere in sight?

The only confrontations between the protestors and police have been provoked by the police. Meanwhile people who are just passing through because they have no other choice are getting shot at with rubber bullets, tear gas and flash bangs as well as being arrested because the police are going by the policy of black = criminal which is what started this whole nonsense off in the first place.

[Gravekeeper]

People are rioting every night and trying to destroy the town and you are worried about the cops using standard riot control techniques to try to stop it? Wow.

And the cops didn't actually set up a no-fly zone. That was a lie. The FAA did it.

You're really going to defend this? Really? And yes, the FAA is the one who issues no fly zones. But who do you think requested the no fly zone? ( Hint: It was the St Louis PD ). People are not destroying the town every night, they're in their own god damn neighbourhood.

These are not standard riot control techniques. Training automatic weapons on civilians from the top of a MRAP armoured vehicle that's normally used in Iraq is not a standard riot control technique. Its completely insane.

Please at least bother to do a cursory Google search before you say anything as this situation is indefensible. Absolutely no part of this is standard or remotely okay in a functioning democracy. These officers are sporting heavier equipment than soldiers in Iraq and have less strict ROE in regards to who and when they can point their weapons at someone. They're being widely criticized by appalled military vets.

[Greenday]

Am I the only one who has read about the riots? Convenience stores being smashed up and robbed. Other stores receiving the same treatment. Flipping cars.

And it's not just locals. People are coming from all over to participate in these activities.

I'm sure the cops could ask nicely and that'll solve the problem.

[gremcint]

what would solve the problem is if the cops would stop shooting unarmed black kids and if those who took the shot were prosecuted and convicted of murder instead of protected by the other cops.

[crashhelmet]

This image is just so very fitting

[Greenday]

what would solve the problem is if the cops would stop shooting unarmed black kids and if those who took the shot were prosecuted and convicted of murder instead of protected by the other cops.

Yes, IF that was the case. But here's the evidence we have so far:

Cop's story: He got attacked by the guy, guy reached for his gun, shot the guy in the middle of a fight

Friend's story: They were totally minding their own business, the cop yelled at them over total BS (believable), the cop pulled the guy to the car by grabbing him by the neck (less believable), the cop shot the guy at point black while he was on his knees (much less believable).

If I have to pick one, the first sounds much more likely. But both witnesses are extremely biased.

Also, don't play the kid card. It's not like a five year old was shot. He was 18 years old, he was tall, and he was pretty big (not in the fat way). Not the kind of person you walk passed on the street and the word "kid" wouldn't be an adjective that'd come to mind.

[TheHuckster]

Both the rioters and the cops are to blame.

The cop who did the shooting is being given a leave of absence, and while investigations may lead to an indictment, I'm afraid given some past incidents like this, there will be a lot of defending going on by the shooter's comrades. According to witness accounts (two of which are not familiar with Michael Brown) and apparently some video evidence, the shooting can't possibly be justified. Even if the allegations that Brown was going after the officer's weapon (which I have a hard time believing is the case), he ceased doing that and the officer still shot not once or twice, but SEVERAL times while he had his hands up. No matter what, the shooting was totally unjustified, and people should be upset about it. Anyone who wasn't a cop would have been held until their trial.

Those denying there was rioting going on are fooling themselves, though, and it's something the police need to deal with quickly before it gets to Rodney King levels. That requires riot control, which is going to look like a warzone because when you are dealing with the amount of people who are rioting, you need to be prepared with some heavy duty gear, including teargas.

It sounds like, however, the police have still taken this riot control to insane levels by assaulting bystanders, media reporters, and demanding people not record or report on what is going on. This is not going to win them ANY sympathy from me. They are doing their police force a disservice to show a disregard for how to control riots without getting into measures resembling a despot police force.

And yes, the FAA is the one who issues no fly zones. But who do you think requested the no fly zone?

According to Time, the restriction was after reports that a police helicopter was fired on by the rioters.

[Greenday]

That's probably the most sensible view. Police are going to extreme measures to stop the violent protests and riots. Certain groups are getting caught in the crossfire (Journalists, etc.). But it's not the police who are putting them in harm's way. Journalists do it to themselves and good people cannot help that these morons keep antagonizing the police. Rioters/violent protesters deserve to be gassed/shot with bean bags.

Things are out of control and a reduction in force will just encourage the opportunists to continue to loot and pillage.