How Ferguson's peacemaking state police captain 'infuriated' cops

Leaked emails show anger over 'soft' approach to protesters

Newly released email exchanges between police brass show that the Missouri State Police captain placed in charge of security in Ferguson after Michael Brown's killing was both vilified and praised for attempting to replace authorities' militarized approach with one more sympathetic to protesters.

The emails, obtained by The Associated Press through an open-records request, also show that police tried to find a way to protect members of the clergy who were in the protest crowds, and that some officers objected to an order to take their meals in public.

The messages offer a small window into the inner workings of Missouri law-enforcement agencies as they tried to quell the tensions that arose following the fatal shooting of the black 18-year-old by white police officer Darren Wilson.

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