Senator Claire McCaskill (D) says the situation in Ferguson needs to be “de-militarized,” referring to clashes between police and protestors.
Some protests have become violent in the past five days since 18-year-old Michael Brown was fatally shot by a Ferguson police officer.
McCaskill says in a statement that the response by police, “has become the problem instead of the solution.”
She writes, “I obviously respect law enforcement’s work to provide public safety, but my constituents are allowed to have peaceful protests, and the police need to respect that right and protect that right. Today is going to be a new start, we can and need to do better.”
McCaskill is scheduled to speak with U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder. She plans to talk with him about what she describes as a “totally unacceptable” situation in Ferguson, and about the status of the federal civil rights investigation.
She is in Ferguson where she has spoken to community and religious leaders this morning.
