Ferguson Police Chief Tells Everyone to “Calm Down”

The Police Chief of Ferguson, MO is asking that everyone on both sides of the protests "calm down."

Photo Removed
Complex Original

Blank pixel used during image takedowns

Photo Removed

With tensions still raging in Ferguson, Missouri and police firing tear gas and rubber bullets at protestors last night, Police Chief Thomas Jackson spoke this afternoon and said that “We need to get everyone to calm down, bring some peace to this.”

President Obama and Governor Jay Nixon have both spoken out on the situation and the need to ease tensions peacefully, and Jackson seems to be on the same wavelength. He acknowledged fault on both sides, saying that “The whole situation is not good at this point. That's why there's several meetings going on right now to evaluate tactics, how we approach this.”

One big area of concern that still isn’t quite adding up is the treatment of the media, and Jackson didn’t have much of a response there. Asked why reporters from the Washington Post and Huffington Post were arrested and the Al Jazeera America camera crew was tear gassed last night, he said “I don't know.”

He also said that police will be trying to do better with tonight’s protests, in hopes that “the protesters will recognize that we are trying to facilitate, to help everybody bring this down—bring all the tensions down.”

[via Gawker]

Latest in Pop Culture