FERGUSON, Mo. — Incredibly intense violence bubbled up on Monday night in Ferguson, Mo. after St. Louis County prosecutor Robert P. McCulloch announced that white police officer Darren Wilson will face no criminal charges for shooting and killing 18-year-old Michael Brown on Aug. 9.
Despite having about three full months of relative peace in Ferguson to plan for the possibility of violent demonstrations, police had completely lost control of Ferguson about 90 minutes after the grand jury announcement.
By 10:30 p.m., the strip of W. Ferguson Avenue from Chambers Road to Woodstock Avenue that had been the epicenter of the Aug. 9 protests had become a crazy, no-go zone for any peaceful protesters and — it certainly seemed — for police.
Police armed with rifles had set up a checkpoint at the south end of the anarchy-like conditions on W. Florissant. About two dozen police cars sat a few blocks north of the checkpoint in the small parking lot of Pawn Center.
For several blocks north beyond the pawn shop, though, there appeared to be no police presence whatsoever.
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The National Guard was in the more affluent areas of St. Louis, and Ferguson was forgotten until well past midnight when it was on the verge of a real firestorm around 2-3 AM. That's when Gov. Nixon at last ordered that they go there too. Until then, the folks in the hood reacted accordingly and predictably. And they knew that under the "rules of engagement" -- that the so-called "Combined Command" had announced in advance -- meant than they could do looting and vandalism with no risk of being shot and little risk of being apprehended. Some snipers were used to scare off the police and firemen. And the presence of lots of "peaceful protesters" further hampered any response to the situation.
ReplyDeleteIn short, from the standpoint of law enforcement it was a cluster fuc__ in Ferguson while St. Louis was well protected with little harm.
This is how it will be. If you are of decent character but poor.... you are screwed and must live in these unprotected neighborhoods and watch you children be sucked into the hood. It has been this way for generations. Once the family unit of yesteryear was destroyed it became anyones game.
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