National Guard begins pullout from riot-weary Ferguson

FERGUSON - Reuters

National Guard troops walk through a staging area inside a shopping center parking lot in Ferguson, Missouri Aug. 21. REUTERS Photo

Missouri's governor ordered the withdrawal of National Guard troops from the riot-weary town of Ferguson on Aug. 22 as tensions eased after nearly two weeks of racially charged protests over the fatal shooting of a black teenager.

A relaxed, orderly mood prevailed among demonstrators for a second straight evening on Aug. 22, the calmest night in the St. Louis suburb since unarmed 18-year-old Michael Brown was gunned down by a white police officer on Aug. 9 under disputed circumstances.

Even as scores of boisterous but peaceful protesters returned to the streets, Brown's father, Michael Brown Sr., urged demonstrators during a CNN interview "to go back to your regular life."

He expressed gratitude for the outpouring of support but criticized thugs and outside agitators who police have blamed for much of the lawlessness surrounding earlier protests.

"This looting, all this other stuff ... it's not helping our boy. It's doing nothing but causing more pain, plus it's shaming his name," Brown's father said. "Go back home to your family ... Hug your kids. Hold onto them tight. Keep them close."

Ferguson erupted in anger after the teenager's slaying, with nightly rallies frequently punctuated by looting, vandalism and clashes between protesters and heavily armed riot police, often ending in volleys of tear gas and dozens of arrests.

The turmoil has cast the community of 21,000 people into the international spotlight as an emblem of often-troubled U.S. race relations.

Although Ferguson is predominantly African American, its political leadership, police department and public school administration are dominated by whites. Civil rights activists say Brown's death was the culmination of years of police unfairly targeting blacks.

With civic leaders and clergy urging protesters in recent days to maintain order and leave the streets after dark, crowds have grown thinner in number and generally more subdued.

"I think we've turned a corner," said State Highway Patrol Captain Ron Johnson, a black officer placed in command last week of a local police force widely criticized for heavy-handed tactics that seemed to be stoking civil unrest.

On Aug. 22 night, Johnson and many of his officers mingled casually among the protesters. The police presence was generally more low key than it had been since the night Brown was shot.

National Guard troops, who were deployed to Ferguson to assist police at the height of disturbances but have kept a relatively low profile during demonstrations, were ordered by Governor Jay Nixon to begin pulling out of the community.

"We continue to see improvement," Nixon said in a statement.
    
Regaining Brown's mother's trust

The withdrawal came a day after U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder visited Ferguson to meet Brown's parents and other residents, and to review the status of a federal civil rights investigation he has ordered into Brown's slaying.

Brown's mother, Lesley McSpadden, who viewed her son's body for the first time on Aug. 21 at a local morgue shortly before meeting Holder, said his assurances helped restore her faith that justice could be done.

"Just hearing the words come directly from his mouth, face-to-face, made me feel like, one day, I will," she told CNN on Aug. 22. "And I'm not saying today, or yesterday, but one day, they will regain my trust."

Brown's parents and supporters have been calling for the immediate arrest of Darren Wilson, 28, the police officer who shot their son. Wilson has been placed on leave and has gone into seclusion.

A local grand jury met on Wednesday to begin hearing evidence in the Brown case, a process that St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Bob McCulloch said could last into mid-October.

Brown's family and protesters are demanding that the local criminal probe be turned over to a special prosecutor, saying McCulloch has a record of discriminatory handling of cases involving police accused of misconduct against blacks.

McCulloch, whose father was a police officer killed in the line of duty by a black man, has promised a fair and impartial investigation. State Senator Jamilah Nasheed arrived at McCulloch's office on Aug. 22 with petitions calling for his removal from the case.

"I am here to deliver a message to Bob McCulloch that the people do not have any confidence in him," Nasheed said. "The people's opinion is that he totally has no ability to do the right thing."
    
Signs of easing tension

Despite lingering expressions of anger and distrust, the atmosphere in Ferguson appeared to be growing calmer. "Things are de-escalating," said Roy Harris outside Original Reds B-B-Q, located on West Florissant Avenue, where many of the protests have taken place.

The restaurant has boarded up its windows, but written in large letters in red paint on the plywood planks is the promise: "We will be back." Workers were selling sandwiches in the parking lot next to an outdoor meat smoker.

Six people were arrested, despite scattered gunshots and a police officer being hit by a water bottle overnight between Aug. 21 and Aug. 22, far fewer than the scores detained on previous nights.

In the residential neighborhood tucked behind the site of the protests, where some residents have complained about tear gas spilling into their backyards, people said they were hoping for a repeat of Wednesday night's calm.

"I really wish it could end. My granddaughters have been out there and I worry for them," said Mary Buchanan, who lives with her 13- and 14-year-old grandchildren. "Don't get me wrong. I am for that boy who got killed, but we need to stop this violence."

Outside a fast-food restaurant blocks away from where Brown was killed, a small contingent of young black men held a homemade wanted poster for Wilson.

"For us he is a wanted man. It is time for calm and peace but only if they bring him to justice," said 23-year-old Dontey Carter, shirtless with a scarf wrapped around his head.