> this is al jazeera america live from new york city. i'm tony harris looking at the top stories. breaking news out of iraq, nouri al-maliki resigns. journalists clash with police officers defending the use of tear gas and smoke bombs. president obama calls for calm. >> now is the time for healing. now is the time for peace and calm on the streets of ferguson. >> and ukraine putting troops in place to block a convoy of trucks that russia claims

contain humanitarian aid. ferg we have breaking news from iraq. nouri al-maliki withdrew his candidacy for another term as prime minister. announcing it during an address to the nation, and threw his support behind prime minister designate haider al-abadi. he had been under pressure to resign after the country's new president appointed a body to form a new body. he was first elected prime minister in 2006. joining us on the phone is richard murphy, the former u.s. assistant secretary of state for near eastern affairs. good to talk to you, sir. what is your reaction to the news that nouri al-maliki is, in fact, going to step doing? >> well, it's, on one hand expected, but welcome news.

he had become the symbol of a leadership which didn't seem to know how to be inclusive. to reach out to the other communities, the minorities in iraq, beyond the sort of inner core of his party, in the shi'ite leadership. this has given a head start to organizations such as the islamic state to exploit the leadership is anti-sunni, and we will replace it. >> will, ambassador, the militias that nouri al-maliki controls - will they respect this decision? >> well, as i understand it, this decision couldn't have taken place without pressure from some critical players in

this whole seen, but led by the government of iran. while his leadership had voted for a change. that is in his faction, i think the vote was 10-1 - he was the discenter saying it was not same for a challenge. it came about, and this change has come about for the sake of stability of iraq. now he's stepped down. i think the push was probably from the shiite leadership ali al-sistani and from tehran itself. the prime minister designate haider al-abadi, how daunting is the task ahead of him to form a new government that is, in fact, inclusive? >> well, i think the message is clear that the country is in sad need of an inclusive approach.

is he the man for the job? the others think so. he is known as a man who is distinguished for his party loyalty, and if the party is determined to move in that direction, he'll be right there with him. he is a more westernised in his education, spending a number of years in great britain, and he's an engineer by training. so he is more of a techknow accurate than maliki was, and the hope is that he'll be the instrument for restarting a dece dialogue among the factions in iraq. >> is there evidence that he has the skill set to talk to the kurds and the sunnis and bring them to the table? >> i don't know that much about the man.

it's clearly the need of the hour. >> yes. the need now is to do that. does he have the capability, are they ready to work with him. you know, the wounds ever since the invasion ended up in turning over the leadership from a largely sunni leadership into shi'ite leadership with the principle of one man, one vote, the sunnis have nursed grudges, and nouri al-maliki has done nothing to help them get over the grudges as they worry about their lose of power and status in the country. >> great to talk to you, ambassador richard murphy on the line, on the news that the prime minister nouri al-maliki of iraq has resigned. now, we are awaiting a news conference from missouri governor jay nixon, it was scheduled 3:30 eastern. it was moved to 4 o'clock, and late at 4:05.

of course, when it begins we'll bring it to you. it comes as anger is boiling over in the nation's heartland. clashes between police and protesters growing more violent in ferguson. st louis county police have been relieved of their duty and will no longer be involved with policing ferguson, after police fired tear gas at protesters last night. gungun [ explosion ] at least 10 were arrested overnight, police say protesters threw molotov cocktails and other items. earlier today president obama spoke out about the unrest in ferguson, and expressed concern for the violent turn of events much. >> there is never an excuse of violence against the police or for those that would use the

tragedy as a cover for vandalism and looting. there's also no excuse for police to use excessive force against peaceful protest or throw protesters in gaol for lawfully exercising their first amendment rights. >> diane eastabrook is in ferguson now. the police force there in ferguson - we are talking about an entire police force - has essentially been relieved of its duty and will not police the streets. talk about the change in tactics, and what it's supposed to accomplish here. >> well, this comes on the heels of a lot of things. the ferguson police department are saying that people are able to protest. they'll take a measured approach, and it comes at a time when u.s. attorney-general eric holder says that the justice department is going to work with local law enforcement on ways to maintain crowd control and keep the peace.

>> reporter: frustrated protesters in ferguson, missouri, vented outside the police headquarters. inside police chief says officers will take a different approach to demonstrations, allowing them any time, but admitting police will protect themselves if there's violence. >> last night we started getting rocks, bricks, bottles thrown at us, a molotov cocktail and then gun fire. we need to get everyone to calm down. >> ferguson and st louis country police are criticised for hurling tear gas and firing rubber bullets at demonstrators. our news crews from hit by tear gas during a protest that turned violent. protestors have taken to the

streets since michael brown, an unarmed teen was shot and killed by police. it's been said that police are acting more like soldiers. >> it's a tactical operation, swat teams, that's who's out there, police, we are doing this in blue. >> some say that while some support efforts to stem violence, a line must be drawn. >> some of the visuals have been excessive. i think some of the confrontations have been escalated-deescalated. at some point in time an aggressive police presence is the problem, not the solution. >> reporter: many demonstrators believe police are waging war against them. some refuse to stop demonstrating. >> i'm not afraid to protest. i'm willing to lay my life on the line for the cause. i am not afraid. >> so the questions about how the police have handled this have been coming from the

protesters. questions are raised by senator mccaskill, the governor and the u.s. attorney's office. >> what are we expecting to hear from the governor when he steps forward to make remarks? >> well, what we heard so far from the office is he's going announce an operational shift and a different tone. we are not sure what that means, he could be asking that st louis police step aside. someone comes in to cope the peace when the protests are going on in the evening and during the day. >> appreciate it. you are seeing on the right side of your screen the room where the governor with speak, jay nixon, scheduled to speak any moment, and address what has been going on in ferguson offer the next few days. when he comes forward we'll take you there. president obama today made clear that what is happening in ferguson was unacceptable from police and protesters, some

protesters. the president had a conversation with the missouri governor. federal officials are working with and independently investigating what happened to michael brown. mike viqueira joins us and what did the president say? >> given the images of violence and unrest over the last 48 hours. they reached the same conclusion when they said emotions are raw in ferguson after the shooting death of michael brown. he spoke with jay dixon. but also with eric holder, the attorney-general. they had a meeting. the president said, according to the white house, they spoke of the need to balance public safety with the right of peaceful protest. the president said there's no room for violence. the president we counting his conversation with jay nixon, a

good man and a fine governor, and expressed concern over the violent images and the violence on the streets of ferguson that we have seen escalating. the president said we need to take a step back and find a way to get together. >> there is never an excuse for violence against police, or for those who would use this tragedy as a cover for vandalism or looting. there's also no excuse for police to use excessive force against peaceful protests, or throw protesters in gaol for lawfully exercising their first amendment rights. in the united states of america, police should not bully or arrest journalists trying to do their jobs, and report to american people on what they see on the ground. >> the president's remarks earlier in his conversation with the governor of missouri. and here he is, the governor of missouri, jay nixon. >> good evening and morning. i spoke with president obama

this morning who conveyed his concerns, and appreciation for our efforts to resolve it. here i met with faith and civic leaders and visited the scene where earlier this week a young man, not much younger than my sons, lost his life. i appreciated the opportunity to speak with and hear from members of the neighbourhood directly affected by the events of the last six days. they want a community that is healthy, happy and safe, they want the streets free from intimidation and fear. they want peaks truth and to be treated with respect. my message to the people of ferguson is these voices have been heard. we have been troubled by the crisis as the pain is compounded by grief, conflict and fear. what has gone on is not what missouri is about. it's not what ferguson is about. this is a place where people work, go to school, raise their families and go to church, a

diverse community. lately it looks like a war zone, it's unacceptable. to change the course we need to join hands to rebuild the trust, meed what is broken -- mend what is broken and help the community regain the confidence and stability. the eyes of the nation are upon us. we need to address challenges. today i am announcing that the missouri highway patrol under the supervision of ron johnson, who grew up in the area will direct the team providing security in ferguson. it does not affect the responsibilities of those involved in the investigation. i would once again like to thank general holder for agreeing to my request that the justice department conduct a parallel investigation and the local law enforcement officials working hard on the investigation at the local level. while that investigation continues, the security responsibilities will be directed by the missouri highway patrol who have proven

themselves when we needed them. most. i want to thank the hard-working members of the local and police departments who will work with the highway patrol as the troopers take the lead. i want to thank the officers working double shift, out on the cutting edge working, putting themselves out there. i appreciate the work that they have done. today is the day that words and deeds will set a better cornerstone on which to build the future. i believe, and i know that ferguson will not be defined as a community torn apart by violence, but a community that pulled together to overcome it. today is the day to renew our commitment to bring peace to the families of ferguson, and commit to our mutual responsibilities to ensure the safety and security of the communies, and make sure they are served by justice and respect. today is the day to express grief in a peaceful matter, and voice expectations for fairness and justice.

friends we must pledge to build up the community and direct it for the better aping else of our nation. we'll -- angels of our nation. we'll hear from a couple of folks and then we'll take question. first, captain ron johnson from the missouri highway patrol. captain johnson. >> i appreciate the significance of this responsibility and the fact that this community and stay, and the nation are looking for law enforcement leadership to protect our citizens. i grew up here, it is my community and home. it means a lot to me that we break the cycle of violence, diffuse the tension and build trust, showing respect with every interaction with every citizens. moving forward i'm confident that the patrols and police presence in ferguson will do that. they understand how important it is that ferguson is competent,

law enforcement, work with us and understand that we are here to serve them. understand that the anger and fear that the citizens of ferguson are feeling, and our police officers will respect both of those. thank you. now, to the chief executive of this region, and i appreciate their cooperation, support and the professionalism they and their teems bring to a myriad of opportunities each and every day, let me ask the st louis county, charlie duly, if you would. >> let me say good afternoon to all of you. i come to you this afternoon with a very heavy heart. what we have seen the past few days in st louis country has been a tragedy. for the michael brown family, it has been a tragedy. they have lost a son.

in st louis [ inaudible ] how do we treat our own. is this freedom of assembly - of course there is. we support freedom of assembly. but what we do not support is disobedience for the law-abiding people in st louis country. i have been saddened by what i have seen these past few days. individuals, community [ inaudible ] i'm for justice. i'm not [ inaudible ] i'm for what is doing is right. and making it right. we have a long job ahead of us bringing the community together. it is not going to be a simple

thing. there are too many questions that have not been answered. they need explanation. people need to have closure. are they going be protected in their homes, and feel safe in their communities. more importantly, as we move forward, can the community and our law enforcement come together to work as a unit. neither one can get there by themselves. we need each of them to participate in this process. i want to thank governor nixon and his team, stepping forward, recognising we need all the resources that we can possibly garner to make this happen. to improve the process i want to thank my good friend for being with us, and captain johnson. it will take all of our agencies

to make this situation better. it will take all of us. but more importantly, it will take the people in the communities to calm down, stand down and let's be reasonable. let's have a conversation about what is happening in our community. how do we perceive ourselves. how does the world look at us as a community? this ought not to be a black, a white thing. this ought not to be a disrespectful thing for the citizens of our community. we can do better than this. i'm confident that as we go forward, we are going to make a difference. and one of the things that i pledge to you, i'm going to appoint a blue ribbon committee to report to me to look at what are we doing, how are we doing it.

more importantly. get people in the community involvement in this process. they need to feel that they are part of it. they need to feel that they are a part of this solution. and the only way to do that is to involve the individuals. i pledge in the next coming weeks we are going to get a blue ribbon community from both sides, and let's get together and talk about what our expectations, what do we expect, and how are we doing, and give an update on what is going on in our community. we have nothing to hide. it's transparent, and by the way, we want the media to be involved in this process as well. we want to make sure that they keep in front of what is going on, why we are doing certain things, and what is the outcome we expect. i look forward to this communication. i look forward to this resources coming together. but more importantly, i believe

that we can make a difference to people's lives. people expect us, in st louis, that make their life safe, their businesses safe, their families safe. they have a right to that. that's our jobs. we are going to do it. i am committed to this process. i know our team is committed to this process. all of our agencies are committed to this process. i need the people of st louis and the region to be committed to this process. it's not an us thing, it's ours. this is our community. the world is looking at us across this world. and how we represent ourselves is speaking volumes to the young people. they are our next leaders. we are the mentors. we are setting the bar. what type of bar are we setting for our young people? they are looking at us.

it is our responsibility to make it better. thank you. >> let me also thank the members of the legislature with us that represent the area so well, and have their finger on the pulse of the up community and represent it well in jefferson city. i appreciate the leaders being with us, we'll be in contact and continue to be. we'll like to hear from the mayor of the city. >> thank you, governor. michael brown was fatally shot in ferguson this past saturday. his parents, family friends and this community are all in mourning. i mean, these are facts that are not in dispute. nor is the need for a full, fair and transparent investigation. nor is the need for justice to be served or people to be heard.

the governor asked me to stand with him and county executive dooley to demonstrate our common agreement on this situation. justice must happen, the grieving must be comforted, the angry must be heard, and the incident must be protected. i agree on the direction that the governor set. i offered him the experience of two senior police commanders from the st louis metropolitan police department. chief sam dobson and ronny robinson, both here. they are available to provide advice and support. sam and ronny will bring a wealth of useful and practical knowledge to the effort, and certainly whatever support they can provide. they can help protect people and their right to assemble peaceably to protect the right to talk about and report, and help keep people safe.

i want to conclude by recognising the officers of the st louis county police department and ferguson and other law enforcement officials involved on the streets of ferguson over the past several days. thank you for your service, thank you for respecting your badge, honouring the oath and for the service to our community generally. i hope that the decision made by the governor will make your mission clear, safer and shorter. thank you. >> me first and then we'll take questions. >> reporter: [inaudible] >> i think we all have been concerned about the vision that

the world has seen about this region. and i think we are all about making sure that we allow peaceful and appropriate protests, that we use force only when necessary, that we step back a little bit and let some of the energy be felt in the region, appropriately, but that is only possible to succeed tonight, tomorrow, and after that as indicated by the executive dooley and others, the support of the community, that's why the legislatures and local leaders are important. i think you'll see - i don't want to speak for operationally, other than to say that while maintaining the peace, but allowing more movement, trying to bring in a different - how

shall we say, a different tone of the amplitude of protective force. my sense is that we'll have an effect. i know the operational teams on the ground are working on changes, and i appreciate that. >> reporter: [inaudible] >> we'll get plenty of questions. go ahead, kevin. >> reporter: [inaudible] >> yes, all of us have seep some level of escalation, and we have seen some level of escalation in arms used to deter, and some of the conduct. i think there has been, at that level, we feel that we need to dim that acceleration, provide an avenue for folks to speak appropriately, but that will allow us to have a better chance

at - a better focus on guaranteeing more public safety. clearly i think we'll see, as the afternoon and evening starts, a little different picture, and our hope is that that will begin. we should also note that, you know, there'll be resources out there if things get difficult, to make sure that people are kept safe. i think that clearly the kind of the strong front on the force line, strong force on the front line, our hopes would be that we have the ability to get a little more peaceful interaction on the front with our force for the back. >> reporter: governor, how would you explain the nature of the perhaps that we saw on the streets yesterday. there were armoured perm car yours, 1 -- personnel carriers, about 100 police in military-style uniforms, high-powered rifles on the

crowd. who was in charge of those skillses and will they be held to account a. >> that was yesterday, together is together, tomorrow is tomorrow. we have seen an acceleration as to the intensity on both sides of the equation, our hope is this operational shift will begin the process of lowering the intensity of those direct interactions and participation risks while at the same time expanding the opportunity for folks to speak out appropriately about long and short-term issues that clearly have struck a nerve. >> reporter: it was one-sided yesterday. >> what is that. >> reporter: it was one-sided yesterday, a response to a peaceful protest, no violence from the crowd, and the nature of the response - we are trying to understand how that could happen. who was in charge of making those did he says. >> i'm not looking backed. i'm looking forward. when we saw the acceleration in

the situation, and the looking forward is a sense that a - shall we say a softer front might yield an avenue for appropriate energy, ab sent direct confront saying >> reporter: the aclu filed for an open records request for an incident report containing the name of the officer that shot michael brown. it seems clear that that is an open record, should it be released. >> first of all, i don't know the name of who the officer is. i'm not conducting that investigation, i spent the better part of the career doing that ... >> reporter: it's missouri state law. >> i don't want to get into a debate about what the law is, other than to say i hope the appropriate release of that name, with the security around it, if necessary, to make sure that there's not additional acts of violence be done, as

expeditiously as possible. in my view, there's methods and abilities to do that. i'm not sure if litigation is the best one, i'll let others do that. i think it would be an important milestone here to get that out as expeditiously as possible. yes, joe. >> reporter: [ inaudible ] ..what the thought processes were and what prompted you to take control? >> we have been involved and kevin johnson, the patrol, has been part of the multidisciplinary team. we have been monitoring it. it's not my first trip to st louis, or the first time i've been on the phone or been to the churches or had a chance to speak to elected leaders. we have been monitoring closely. you clearly want solutions, if at all possible to be done as locally as possible.

you want folks to feel engaged so you get not merely a short-term operational gain, but more importantly than that, a long-term, you know, trust build. so you want to be in a situation in which you want to at the state level support folks that are out there facing the tough calls and doing this. we watched it carefully. i felt that at this particular point, that the attitudes weren't improving, and that the - that the blocks towards expression appeared to be a flashpoint. and that if we put, you know, some of the - some folks - some people first, that we would be in a better situation. i have been monitoring and felt that this was the appropriate time to make the operational

shift. >> real quick, governor. >> i'm here, you'll get me. david. >> reporter: governor, will the ferguson police department and st louis police department provide the feet on the ground as far as the police department or will the highway patrol step in. >> the highway patrol and captain johnson will be the leave. we'll have significant resources on patrol. they'll continue to be part of the multidisciplinary team with shifts to assist that. we expect to continue to rely on a joint force in this area, to make sure with the shifts involved and all that stuff, but operationally the patrol will be the lead agency when it comes to security. >> reporter: [inaudible] >> we'll have the - we'll have whatever is out there. i think that the challenge we face today is not whether you have enough officers, the challenge is not whether you have enough resources or not.

the challenge we face is not whether you have shown enough strength on the police side or not. oath we have shown that. that's why i think a little shift here, and a little operational shift with a little more flexibility at this point could provide a breathing space to - for both. i warn that we'll certainly protect business owners and families and others from indiscriminate or illegal acts. there'll be adequate force there. i don't think the size of the force has been the key stress. i hit back here, yes. >> reporter: several people said they were arrested for protesting peacefully, and spent the night in gaol, some of them 16 hours, and just released, walked out of gaol. my question is your thoughts on that, will you look into it. as you talked about the appearance of last night. what you hear from the folks in

ferguson, they are dumbfounded by the overwhelming and over the top response that they saw. what - you tried to touch on it. >> there has been gun fire, both sides. this has been a difficult zone. there has been - there have been - there has been a great deal of activity in the region. so i think tonight and today without going through the operational stuff which is up to the team as they work this morning and tonight, to move forward, what you will see is an attempt and a successful attempt in my view to move forward people, and to move back a little bit of equipment. that doesn't mean we are giving up on keeping the law or control of criminal behaviour. >> reporter: what do you say to the underlying concern in the community that there has been a

long habit of police harassment in north st louis county, traffic stops, housing violations, particularly to gain revenue for municipalities with limited resources as the economy in the area has gone down. >> as i said the other night at the church, this feels a little like an old wound that has been hit again, and so the pain you feel is not just from the individual action, it feels like a little bit of a long-time simmering. and that, i think, is natural for all of us to see and to watch. i think that this - the challenges we face here go more deep. it doesn't show a lack of respect for any victims that suf, or the deaths that we -- suffer or the deaths that we have. the key is to get control, let voices be heard, protect property and dual processes and opening up and being free,

showing less force in the front side. ultimately getting to the deeper problems. this is - these are, you know, deep and existing problems in missouri, but in america, and this has clearly touched a nerve, and that nerve is not merely from this horrific instance that happened a few short days ago or the interim things. it touches a deeper nerve, that, while we focus on the shorter term operational things, ultimately we will be graded or gauged as to whether or not this was an opportunity used to begin to make longer term understanding or healing. i believe that this touched an old wound, a deeper nerve, and incumbent upon all of us to respect those that have been lost, to make sure that justice is served.

but to make sure we keep order to allow voices to be heard. long raping, we say voice -- long range, when we say voices to be heard, listened to. voices being heard is not just letting people say their side, it's not only opening your mouth, but their ears. if we all use that, this is a clear opportunity. . >> reporter: we had rioting on sunday night as the police stayed back, they moved in aggressively. they've been criticised. some say we haven't had learning or looting. is there a plan b if the gentler approach yields looting and rioting. >> we'll have adequate resources to deal with public safety that arises. those that know me and the people and the fine professionals in the region - there's no doubt whether we have resources. we will use the resources a

little differently, calibrated in different orders. but rest well assured that we'll do our best to re-establish the rule of law and subsequently expand the trust. >> governor, are you... >> reporter: [inaudible] >> i - next i think there's a lot of - you know, once again i'm not involved in the investigative side. all that will operate on separate tracks. you'll see activities occur that have flashpoints in the community. that's why it's important now to make a little shift in this operationally. there's a lot to be done. there are check points as we move forward that will be very emotional. that'll be moments when, you know, folks may disagree or agree on what the outcomes are, there's a lot of steps between

here and the finish. there's two significant investigations. our goal is to make sure operationally and systematically that we are getting peace and are using it on that front to garner opportunities in the future. >> you talked about trying to heal the wound that's been here for a long time. do you have specifics that you can offer us on things you'd like to see done? >> we are a little focussed on operational things. we'd like to see folks feel they are comfortable in hearing their voices and making sure property and lives are protected. we'd like the danger go down, and see the investigations out there be completed, and see those done in a fashion that is transparent and timely. so that these important facts get out in the public. i think that it's really important for people to know what happened, how it happened, and then we'll process that. the sooner we get to those, that's extremely important here,

and long range institutions like this and the schools - i appreciate representing pearson and some others had listening sessions with students from schools. that's an important step to engage with the young folks. i think some of the other representatives are doing the same. that is an important part of the process too. i hope to be involved appropriately once we get through the situation operational, things that we have to accomplish in the next day our two. yes, sir. >> reporter: [inaudible] police were doing their job. >> what we are doing here - kevin johnson has been in the operation center. we are putting a - you know, we are making a little organizational shift that i think will reflect, i think, other things that all the folks were doing. i respect the folks that wear

the uniforms and the badge. i'm a life-time of being involved in law enforcement. people that choose as a career to run to trouble, not away from it, the heroes that we have. they are stressed. it's been a difficult couple of weeks. getting the operational shift is, i think, something that will give everyone a breath of fresh air. we are not - this is not about looking in the rear view mirror, we are trying to keep our eyed focused. >> reporter: [inaudible] calls for a special prosecutor. what are your thoughts about that? >> we have two already. we have the justice department and a fine seasoned team at st louis county. let's let them do their work is my view. you have got two parallel tracks, the fbi, the justice department, and the fine folks at st louis with a lot of experience here. i think we let them do their jobs. they are doing a lot of work out

there. they are - i know they are his lung their tails off. they understand the pressure, no one nonetheless the time lines, they want to get it right. i don't think adding a third at this juncture, until we have the transparency and see the outcome is appropriate. there's two folks looking over shoulders, that's unique. i think that will work, because general holder and his team from justice, as well as prosecutor mccull ebb and his team are season professionals. i don't think bringing it a third lane will be helpful at this juncture. >> can you characterize a little bit of the relationship with the black community, how it evolved, and shaped your response to all of this? >> i mean - i appreciate the

relationship i have with so many of my friends from so many years in this community and the stress and pressure they helped me with over the years. not only these fine leaders, but others. i tremendously appreciate that. i don't think this is a time to - i'm going to continue to not use this was a time to divide, or to draw differences or see how loud i can talk or see how sharp i can say. other people have first amendment rights, i have executive challenges. i think that the relationship is good and professional, and in many ways personal with a number of folks, and i look forward to, you know, the natural process of the first amendment and democracy and ask people to agree and disagree in public. that's part of the life i live in. if you are not up to dealing with critiques for action and

ipp actions, you shulent -- ipp actions, you shouldn't. >> reporter: governor, can you respond to criticism of your handling of the situation coming from state senator maria shapel nadal. it included a four alert word. >> good. am i warm. it's near the gs. >> reporter: are you familiar with it? >> i get the access. you guys send a lot out, i see some of it. i don't - it's not how i communicate. i don't - i - i try to put gasoline into the engine of fire engines when i see them not on the fires that exist. i find that is more productive.

>> reporter: [inaudible] >> we have - we try to. we'll get that opportunity soon. we have been in contact with them. i wanted to - i have been impressed by their comments, calling for peace, and justice. and i thank them for that. i think they have been resolute in their recommendation to the communities that violence is not the answer. i know they are going through difficult times, very difficult times, and i think that - well, we have a chance to get together. the schedules got bumped out. with the things in front of me, it was important to get strategic line accomplished. i've been focus the on operational aspects. >> reporter: i'd like to hear from captain johnson about what he says he'll do different

together. >> i'll let captain johnson make a few comments, but i'll ask members of law enforcements before doing what they do, is that, you know, they try to - but captain johnson is here. >> reporter: i was wondering what are you going to do differently, will you roll with armoured vehicles and police and full body gear ... so much to talk about. you've been listening to - i should mention that there at the end is the man who will take over the responsibilities of policing ferguson missouri. captain ron johnson of the missouri highway patrol. moments ago you heard from governor jay nixon announcing an operational shift, and he used that terminology a lot, an operational shift to provide a breathing room for a bit of a cooling off period in ferguson.

the ferg -- ferguson police department has essentially been sidelined. can you imagine that happening anywhere else. can you imagine the police force of any other community essential being sidelined and pulled off the streets. that is what is happening in ferguson right now. there was an interesting moment that i will take up with our next guest, missouri state senator maria shapel neddal. good to see you senator. you were tear gassed while participating in a peaceful protest on monday. let me get right to it here. >> monday and wednesday. >> monday and wednesday. all right. so there was a moment in the q and a with the governor that i'll bring to your attention. you had an opportunity to hear it. you were singled out in the question. >> yes, i did. >> you heard it. >> yes. >> the governor was asked about his relationship with the black community and his response was a

little ram bling and off point ultimately said the relationship is good and professional, which is weird language. then there was a question about you and some of your critique of the governor, and he was asked to respond to your critique of him and you were, inestens - i'm -- inessence - i'm paraphrasing, you were accused of being a provocateur, a flame throw, someone who would throw gas on a fire. your response. >> yes. well, you know what, listening to the governor this afternoon proved my point. he and county executive charlie dooley are disconnected from the community. i have been at ground zero for six days now. they have not come to ground zero. when the gor mentioned --

governor mentioned he was in the area, he was not in the area. dooley was on ground zero once. he was booed and people wanted him to leave. when dooley talked about it being a racial issue. it's not. here the young people are black and white, and they see the injustice for young people. this fight is about young people. this is day such. i say to governor nixon, this is your katrina, governor. you have nod showed up to ground zero and it's day six. you have the same responsibility as president george bush did with katrina, and you are still not here listening to the people, the young people who are suffering and they are angry, and they are hurt, and they are trying to feel. how do you display your feelings and emotions? how do you execute that? so i am here on the grouped and have been here on the -- ground, and have been here on the ground

for six days because i for young people seeking and -- because i support young people. for two days i have been gassed as a state senator, i have felt comfortable with every young person and crowd i have been in to date. why is it governor that you cannot come to the ground zero where people are expressing their rights to speak. why are you allowing for us, your own state senator, your own state senator to be gassed. >> let me stop you and roll the exchange that you had with the ferguson police chief, where you asked that question of the i think we have it queued up, let's roll it. >> i want to know if i'm going to be gassed like i was on monday night and i was peaceful and i'm your state senator and i was gas. >> i know. >> we couldn't get out. we were peacefully sitting. i want to know if i'm going to be gassed. >> i hope not.

>> state sirnt, what does the government mean in describing his relationship with the black community as good, professional. seems like an ipp complete response to -- incomplete response to an important question. >> did you notice the long pause? that was the longest pause of all the questions asked. obviously he had not had a good relationship. usually he started a process with young african american kids could get a better education in fully accredited schools. he stopped the process happening 20 years ago, when i was in high school. furthermore, last year, he wanted to cut benefits to minorities and people who are low incomes, and he was disadvantaging african-americans

and other low-income people. the governor has a strong history of not store the the african-american community. and is a governor that wants to take away low income tax credits for people in low income housing. >> state senator maria shapel nadella i wish i had more time. we are running to the top of the hour, but i need to get a police expert in here. it's a pleasure to talk to us, good to have you on the programme and thank you for your time. >> thank you. >> we'll take a break. when we come back we'll speak to mani gomez, a former sergeant with the n.y.p.d., and a former investigator. back in a moment.

mani goem e a former sergeant and fbi investigator. can you imagine the n.y.p.d. pulled off the streets. you are smiling, it would never happen. >> that's unfath somable that the n.y.p.d. would be pulled from a case under any circumstances, given they are the primary police force in new york city. >> talk to me, sorry. let's talk and break this down. what is the take away for you.

what have you noticed. what have you seen. what is this happening. why is the ferguson police department. talk about tactics, strategy, what has been - what has been amiss, what is wrong, what has been handled badly. >> we need to analyse and study what the ferguson police department did. have they built strong foundations. communitity ties. people they could go to saying "listen, our officer may have done some wrong, we'll take care of him, but you need to quell an unrest. looting and carrying on under any circumstance is not acceptable. this is a small police department that apparently uses brute force and doesn't use other assets that other modern policing such as community policing and things of that nature brought to full, such as the n.y.p.d. the other police department has long ten tackles that take care of fill unrest.

>> would you agree with the move by the governor to side line the ferguson police department. it wouldn't happen in many other jurisdictions. to sideline the police department, and bring in the missouri highway patrol. >> the governor made a decision, that the ferguson police department cannot contain the civil unrest. they are the focus of the civil unrest, and they apparently mishandled it to the point where it be replaced by a larger [ inaudible ] >> how will tonight be different? from your experience, from a policing standpoint. what might it look like? you are not there, i'm not there. what might it look like? >> highway police will take over. they'll reach to the community saying we are here to protect you. more communication. get the community leaders involved. >> we didn't do this, we are not

the problem, give us an opportunity to make it better. >> we won't tear gas you, we are here to protect you, as opposed to the ferguson police department that may have exacerbated a volatile situation by going in and tear gassing people. violence begets violence. that's apparently their methodology why and why they were replaced. mani, a former sergeant, a former fbi investigator. appreciate it. that is all the time for the newshour. i'm tony harris in new york city. if you want the latest on any story head to the website aljazeera.com. "inside story" is next.

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