National
Meet the Missouri Highway State Patrol Captain Who Has Taken Over in Ferguson
Missouri State Highway Patrol Capt. Ronald Johnson addresses the crowd of protesters, asking them to stay on the sidewalk and not block traffic Thursday, Aug. 14, 2014, in Ferguson, Mo. The Missouri Highway Patrol took control of a St. Louis suburb Thursday, stripping local police of their law-enforcement authority after four days of clashes between officers in riot gear and furious crowds protesting the death of an unarmed black teen shot by an officer. (AP Photo/St. Louis Post-Dispatch, David Carson)
(The Washington Post) FERGUSON, Mo. — Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon (D) gave control of security operations in riot-riven Ferguson to Missouri State Highway Patrol Capt. Ronald S. Johnson on Thursday.
The result? Hugs, kisses and a night of peace replaced tear gas and unrest.
“We are going to have a different approach and have the approach that we’re in this together,” Johnson, a Ferguson native, told reporters Thursday afternoon. “I understand the anger and fear that the citizens of Ferguson are feeling, and our officers will respect both of those.”
One immediate change under Johnson’s command: The heavy riot armor, the SWAT trucks with sniper posts, the hostile glares were gone.
