i'm errol barnett. >> we'll take you live to missouri where after days of unrest, protesters remain calm on wednesday night. >> but first, new information about a failed mission to rescue the journalist who was beheaded by isis this week. we want to begin with a daring attempt to rescue people from isis militants in syria. >> a u.s. official tells cnn one of the captives to be freed was james foley, the american journalist murdered by isis m l isisitanisis militants. meanwhile, the investigation continue, barbara starr has the story. >> u.s. and british intelligence experts are scouring every frame of the gruesome video, showing the murder of james foley, for clues about who killed him. president obama offering

condolences and tough words as commander in chief. >> when people harm americans anywhere, we do what's necessary to see that justice is done. >> but before any next steps, intelligence experts have work to do. first, washington and london are analyzing the british accent in the voice of the killer. >> we're very concerned by the apparent fact that the murderer in question is british. and we're urgently investigating. agencies on both side of the atlantic and then to see if we can identify the individual in question. >> does the accent indicate where he might have come from? are there cell phone intercepts matching the voice? could he have been held at guantanamo bay expe? experts are looking at the terrain to see if it matches topography in iraq or syria. until now, isis has not made attacking the west a direct

priority. but now a direct threat. the killing of james foley, the executioner saying in part, any attempt by you, obama, to deny the muslims liberty and safety under the:00 caliphate will result in the bloodshed of your people. >> the intelligence community worried about what will happen next. >> it's not clear whether the leadership will now pivot towards attacking the west. there's concern they could. they have the capability to. >> the administration, for now, not likely to expand military action in iraq, and air strikes against isis are unlikely, given syrian air defenses and the lack of intelligence about where isis operatives are precisely located. >> i do think the administration is not likely to change their strategy as a result of this. they are going to be very careful not to have the mission

creep so much that we get fully entangled in iraq again. >> u.s. officials readily acknowledge they are studying isis top to bottom. what motivates them, what their next plans may be. barbara starr, cnn, the pentagon. >> and the attempted rescue in syria was dangerous to say the least. the u.s. says it never meant to reveal this mission, but went public because the media were about to report it anyway. i spoke earlier with cnn security analyst robert bear about this very dangerous mission. >> i can't emphasize enough how risky this was. remember that the syrians have sa-11 missiles that took down the melee airplane. they still have their radar up, isis fighters who are battle-trained at this point. the problem is, they went in, basing the intelligence on

intercepts. they're unreliable. talk of moving the hostages around, this could not have been an easy mission, and i think it's lucky that the teams got out with no loss of life. >> but what's the right move for the u.s. now? we've seen this brazen public beheading and threat that other hostages would be killed. obviously isis wants to draw the u.s. in even more. that would help it recruit more. how does this change the calculation now? >> well, i don't think it's going to get any better. it's gonna get a lot worse, in fact. i know that special operations command is sending more soldiers into iraq for more missions like this as we speak. they're getting ready to move. and isis always wants a confrontation with the united states. they consider to be legitimizing

their conflict. they want recruits from europe and all over the middle east. they think that they can beat the united states with this. so they welcome a conflict up. when you have both sides ready to go in and fight it out, it's got to get worse. >> and it seems as though, despite the u.s. air strikes which helped the kurdish forces in the north regain the mosul dam and push isis off slightly, what you said there is true. they still have this amazing ability to recruit, to grow, to expand. and in that horrific video of the beheading, the stage craft of that was also purposeful, having a man that appeared to have a british accent speaking on behalf of isis. i guess as a way of underscoring they have these recruits. what's significant about that to you? >> they're particularly radical. i spent a lot of time in britain and they're uncompromising south

asian communities. they're more than willing to hit in syria and iraq. they're particularly violent and they're ready to take on the united states. these people are not going to give up. this is not going to be a battle where we can go in with a few air strikes and get it over. and the big question i have, living in the united states, does isis have the ability to hit inside american borders? sources in washington tell me they're here. they don't know how capable they are. but i think the united states, i know it's prepared for some sort of attack inside the borders. >> my conversation with bob there earlier. many of james foley's friends have implord people to remember him for his work, not for the gruesome way that he died. we're going to do that later this hour, look back at the american journalist's truly incredible career and see what drove him to cover stories in some of the world's most dangerous places.

>> after days of protest that turned violent, there's finally a day of calm in ferguson, missouri. >> finally, really the key word there. our reporters on the crowd say crowds dwindled around midnight local time, more than an hour ago now. those who did march to protest the death of michael brown, though, remained peaceful. heavy rain earlier in the evening kept other people home, one of the few times crowds grew agitated when two counter protesters voiced their support for the officer who fatally shot brown. police led the pair away and at this moment, we're standing by for another media briefing by captain ron johnson to talk about the successes tonight in preventing the violence we've seen of the past few days. so we're standing by for that. >> whilst we wait, let's go live to stephanie elam in ferguson, missouri. the protests we've been reporting seem much smaller and more calm tonight. tell us what you're seeing on

the streets. has the mood changed? it has changed a bit here. i can tell you that on our move from where we were for the last time that we came on and spoke to you here, we were able to see that they did something new tonight. they had up a sign that said, an approved assembly area, and people were gathered there, still chanting, but it was a smaller, more controlled group. a couple things were different tonight. for one thing, there was a thunderstorm that came soon after the sun went down. that rain definitely helped get some people out of the area. but also there were people out here who were just making sure that folks just followed the rules. that they kept moving, that they weren't just standing in one place. that's something the police have not wanted, the big groups to grow. and also, you saw that people were way more relaxed this evening. i was looking around at one point while people were still milling about a little bit, but the police seemed way more relaxed in their tone. even just walking around the

entire area where people were marching. we saw a larger group of people come in, also marching. they joined the other protesters there, and we thought maybe there might be a change. not really. it still managed to stay pretty calm and folks peeled off slowly as the night went on. we did see the intensity of the chants out there. still saw a lot of people out there who have been out there. we saw some new faces that we hadn't seen before. still a lot of signs. a lot of people not wanting michael brown's death to have been in vain. i can tell you this is an hour earlier than it was last night when we had this press briefing that we're with to get here from captain johnson. so that's also a sign that things have wrapped up better than the previous night and we'll see have to see. but the police officers moved in quickly, did some arrests and then moved out. so definitely a different tone this evening for sure. >> and stephanie, you're saying

that the rain played a part. how much has the presence of u.s. attorney general eric holder helped diffuse tensions would you say? >> well, i think his coming here, for a lot of people in ferguson and a few of the people that i spoke with, made them feel like their voices were being at least heard. whether that means it's going to be playing out the way they would like to see it play out, is not necessarily going to be. but they just wanted to be heard. a lot of people saying that if there isn't some sort of indictment for this officer who shot michael brown, then there could be another uprising and more protesters coming to ferguson. everyone holding their breath on it. for the most part today, the fact that the attorney general came, shook hands, spoke to people, spoke to the mother of michael brown, meant a lot to the people in the small town of ferguson. again, i think people still feel a little bit of tension as to what's going to happen as the weeks go forward. also when you keep in mind, the

funeral for michael brown is supposed to be on monday and what could happen after that. other people told me they'll continue to protest and march until all of the entire trial, if there is one, plays out. we know they don't plan on giving all of the data, all of the witness accounts, all of that to the grand jury until, they say, october, we're hearing in missouri. so that's a very long time. if you look at what we saw tonight, the numbers are not matching up. they're not coming out in the same numbers to continue this pilgrimage. >> thank you very much, stephanie. we'll have much more from ferguson later this hour. stephanie was mentioning captain ron johnson is expecting to do a press in the next 15 or so minutes. we'll bring that to you when it happens. still ahead, cnn anchor don lemon goes out into the streets

with captain ron johnson. take a listen. >> do you think it would be better -- you don't think the police get out and me go with you guys? >> no, they don't. >> the only time they get out is to lock us up. >> seeing more of that coming up in about ten minutes. but first here on cnn, rockets are flying from gaza, and israel is launching air strikes once again. we'll get you up to speed on a new round of fighting in the middle east. stay with us.

>> live pictures of ferguson, missouri for you, where it's 1:13 in the morning. we're standing by for a news conference to begin, conducted by captain ron johnson, the man who tonight will be happy to see that the crowds were smaller, there was no violence that our crews witnessed and that generally speaking the mood in ferguson appears to be calming after a day when u.s. attorney general eric holder visited to assure residents that the federal government would do its part to investigation the shooting death of michael brown 11 days ago. we'll keep our eyes here. the press conference will begin here shortly and we'll bring it to you live as soon as it begins. >> we'll of course continue to follow the developments from missouri. but first some other news we're following for you this hour.

if you shoot, you will get attacked. that's a warning to hamas from israeli program benjamin netanyahu. israeli forces launched air strikes in at least 80 suspected military sites in gaza. the health ministry there says the strike killed the wife and infant son of the head of the armed wing of hamas. now we're hearing israel bombed another house and hamas says three ranking members of its military wing were killed in that attack. >> benjamin netanyahu says at the rockets are response to rockets fired from gaza. >> translator: operation protective edge is not finished, not for a minute. we are talking about a continued campaign. >> the united nations security council said it's gravely

concerned by the renewed fighting, and it's urging both sides, once again, to resume negotiations toward a lasting peace. but as we're about to show you, that doesn't seem likely any time soon. >> he we go. >> reporter: after about a week of calm, explosions rocked gaza once again. as hostilities between israel and hamas are back in full swing. rocket barrages lifting off towards israel. and the israeli military hitting back hard with both air strikes and artillery. israel blames hamas for the violence. >> it was a direct and grave violation of the ceasefire, there was no excuse for it. this was no previous provocation, out of the blue. >> reporter: hamas, for its part, points the finger at israel, and says this particular strike caused a major escalation. the group says israel attempted to assassinate the head of its

military wing mohammed el-dave. an elusive man who is rarely seen except in old photos like this one, which purports to show him. hamas says dave survived but that his wife and 7-month-old son were killed, their funerals held in gaza on wednesday. >> translator: i want to told mohammed aldave that he's our leader and we're all behind him, his mother-in-law said at the procession. the building they were in was flattened. just looking around, you can see very heavy ord nants were used here. the building has been mangled. allegedly they're looking for bodies under the rubble, but it's unclear if anything could be found. the israeli military has not confirmed targeting dave, but politicians have said they consider striking him justified.

israel said, its renewed operation are to take out rocket infrastructure to prevent militants from firing at its territory. both sides are entrenched and back on a war footing, leaving very little hope for a ceasefire in the near term. >> such a lack of hope now in that part of the world because of the all the failed ceasefires. take a short break and we'll go back to ferguson, missouri next. >> the captain charged with keeping the peace there is using handshake diplomacy to achieve just that. our don lemon rides along with captain ron johnson just ahead. r parking. that's remarkable that so much energy is, is wasted. streetline has looked at the problem of parking, which has not been looked at for the last 30, 40 years.

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>> you are looking at live pictures from ferguson, missouri. it's currently around 1:20 a.m. in the morning. we're waiting for a press conference from captain ron johnson. we heard earlier from stephanie elam saying the streets are much calmer, crowds much smaller. heavy rain and lightning earlier, we're not sure whether that helped to disperse the protesters or whether people are slightly va lly wary. either way tensions have eased and no doubt ron johnson will tell us that in the next few minutes or so. >> he said yesterday and the day before, the violence must end, everyone must come together, so we should see and they started each of the past two nights with a bit of a prayer as well, doing what he can to -- >> but starting slightly earlier today as well, which is of

course a good sign, that things have been more controlled and calmer. >> he'll want to brag about those points when that press conference begins. >> the fbi is interviewing dozens of witnesses in ferguson. special agents are looking into whether the police officer violated michael brown's civil rights. >> the accounts we're hearing about the shooting have major differences. >> a confrontation in wilson police car, then shots fired. per those who claim to know what happened to michael brown, that's about all they agree on. at least three eyewitnesses remember a scuffle at the officer's car. though an anonymous woman who did not witness the shooting, but is a friend of the officers said michael brown was the aggressor, which cnn has confirmed matches the account given authorities. >> he bum rushes him, just

shovings him darren grabs for his gun, and michael grabs the gun. darren shove its away and the gun goes off. >> was he shot from behind, or was he charging? >> as he runs the police get out of his vehicle and he follows behind him shooting. and, um, the kid body jerked as if he was hit from behind. >> this woman, who took cell phone video of brown's body in the street also told cnn that braun was shot from behind. >> while he was running away from the officer, he was getting shot at. >> this man says brown spun around after being shot. >> he turned around with his hands up, beginning to tell the officer that he was unarmed and to tell the officer to stop shooting, but at that time the officer was firing several shots into my friend and he hit the ground and died.

>> in a new interview, johnson's lawyer said brown's hands were, quote, not that high. they asked bosley about brown charging the officer, he explained it this way. >> mike did fall forward. people may be able to infer that the officer may have felt he was charging, but big mike, according to dannian, did not charge the officer. he turned around and put his hands up. >> josie said the officer yelled to brown to freeze and that is when brown turned around. before the officer started shooting. she said brown then suddenly rushed at the officer. >> he just started coming at him, and he just started shooting and he just kept coming. the final shot was in the forehead. >> adding to the confusion, another anonymous witness who said he heard brown screaming at the officer, okay, okay, okay,

with his hands up. then he fired into the teenager and laid his gun on the ground. randi kaye, cnn, new york. >> and again, we're still waiting, standing by for that press conference, the latest one to begin in ferguson, missouri. but when cnn's special coverage continues, shocking new details about a failed mission by u.s. commandos to rescue james foley. we'll take a closer look at the life of the american journalist and what the video of his death tells us about isis militants. ♪ ♪ imagine the luxury... of not being here.

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>> welcome back, you're watching cnn's special coverage. >> now, what started as a raining night in missouri is ending as a peaceful protest and smaller crowds. >> storms rolled through earlier in the day, likely kept some people away. others may have simply become exhausted after nightly confrontations by police. captain ron johnson is now beginning his media update.

>> -- we're still energized and totally committed to keeping the streets safe and conflict-free after 11 days and nights. i also want to thank two groups of people who made that happen. first, the law-abiding men and women and teenagers of ferguson. the st. louis area and everywhere else, who embrace free expression and took another step toward healing and understanding tonight. i'd like to especially thank and express my gratitude to our elders of this community, the clergy, leaders, and activists who assisted us tonight. in the business of law enforcement, you can often tell how the night is going by the radio traffic, and tonight the radios were mostly quiet. light traffic on the radios, and light traffic on the streets. crowds were smaller, they were calm and orderly. this was not a conflict-free

night. at about 8:00 p.m., one of our officers was hit with a bottle. fortunately he was not injured. the trend is good. yesterday's crowds were smaller than mondays, and as i said, the crowd was even smaller tonight. we also had a response, there were no molotov cocktails tonight, no fires, no shootings. we did not see a single handgun. there were no confrontations. just like tuesday night, tonight we deployed no smoke, no tear gas, and no mace. and again tonight, police fired not a single bullet. last night, at 2:00 a.m., the number of arrests were 47. tonight the number was six.

at about 7:00 tonight, the governor came by the command center and visited. he praised all the departments for the coordinated measured response that is being used. the governor also met with the officers who are working the streets, expressed his appreciation for their work. during the day today i met with u.s. attorney general eric horl. he told me that what's going on here in ferguson is a great example of community policing. let me tell you what he meant by that. today on ellison drive, during much of the conflict, there were three troopers who noticed a basketball hoop without a net. there was no basketball. the troopers decided they wanted to do something for the kids in the neighborhood, they used their own money and bought a net and basketball. as they installed the net, some

neighbor children came out of their homes and asked what the troopers were doing. they told the kids they wanted them to have a net and a basketball. as those troopers drove off, the children were playing basketball. that's the true meaning of community policing. i will answer a few questions. >> for the arrests, what types of things were they arrested for? >> some were fail to disperse. the other two i'm not aware of at this time. >> captain, to what expect to you attribute the soaking downpour in the middle of the evening, do you think that dispersed the crowd and many didn't come back? >> earlier in the week, we had heavy rain, and we sustained it longer and the crowds did not leave. so i think that before the rain came, we seen a calm in the crowd. we saw a different crowd that came out tonight, we didn't have

as many agitators. and as i said, criminals in the crowd. >> are you anticipating further violence -- [ inaudible ] >> i tell you that i am going to enjoy the peace we had today and not focus on what ifs. >> can you talk a little bit about the clergy and the work they've been doing -- [ inaudible ] >> the clergy have been a great example of the strength of this community. of the respect that we all have for our faith. their calming words, their patience, and their ability to express what's right to the people of this community. >> would you tall this a turning point -- [ inaudible ] >> because i know in the end,

this is going to make us better. it's going to bring us peace, and it's going to make us better men and women. it's going to make our kids better. it's going to make our nation better. and i look forward to that. [ inaudible question ] >> we've been here several nights and each night i've seen a turning point. each night i've seen small steps. sometimes those small steps are hard to see. but i know small steps turn into big steps. so we've been taking small steps every night. >> do you change your strategy at all tonight from last night -- [ inaudible ] >> we always go back as a group. you see the chief of st. louis county, the chief of st. louis city, missouri patrol, we go back every night and we sit and look at our operational plan and

see how we can make it better, how we can do it better. part of that is, when we're in the community and talking to the citizens out there, we're listening to what they're telling us and their concerns and that goes into our thinking also. [ inaudible question ] >> i'm really not going to talk about our operational plan and our adjustments, but just know that it's something we evaluate each and every day. >> when you met with attorney general holder today, what did you tell him about the operations and what did -- >> we really didn't talk about what he wanted. i walked in, put my hand up for a handshake. he put out both of his hands and embraced me with both of his hands and told me, he said, this is what community policing is about. and he said, we thank you. >> did he give you any indication of exactly what he feels about what needs to be done to kind of lower the temperature of everything? >> no. he just told me his views on policing, what policing should

be within communities, thanked me and wanted me to thank those that are here on the line, front line, that we're doing a great thing and we're doing a good thing. >> after tonight, do you see this as the beginning where you start to scale back? at what point do you say we can reduce the number of troopers that are here, national guard, that sort of thing? >> like i said earlier, we'll continue to evaluate the situation, evaluate operations and we'll adjust accordingly. >> do you think holder's visit today, meeting with michael brown's parents, had a coupling effect on the protest or had any impact, causing a different mood? >> i believe it did. i believe it lets this community know that their voices are being heard by the greatest, top law officer in the land. they know their voice has been

heard. [ inaudible question ] >> actually, the officers that were directly on the line did not have long guns. did we have officers that have long guns? yes. but those officers were directly on the line did not have long guns. >> two nights ago when the officers were making arrests -- [ inaudible ] >> you were here for the last two nights, and we had weapons displayed. like i said last night, these officers have families. these officers have parents. these officers have loved ones, and they are going to be protected. [ inaudible question ] >> you saw it tonight. unless you were sitting here, you saw it tonight. next question.

>> there were some wilson supporters and the police moved in quickly to remove those supporters from the demonstrators. it was handled in what i believe was a very professional manner. did you guys discuss afterwards how you would handle that in the future, should more supporters show up? >> i tell you, we're here to provide safety for everyone. and that's the protesters, that's the media, that's the group that you had here today, and as you seen yesterday, we provide protection for the agitators, even for them. so everyone here, our uniform says we'll protect and serve everyone that's here. >> when are you going to restore the -- >> excuse me? >> when are you going to restore the right to assemble everyone? >> did you not see the right of

assembly tonight? [ inaudible ] [ inaudible question ] >> i tell you, i stood out there tonight with many of you. you saw groups stopping in different locations and talking. you saw groups stopping at the media areas. [ inaudible question ] >> i don't have those total numbers. we had six tonight. last night we had 47. so i don't have the total numbers. but we can get those for you. >> can you comment on the police officer who threatened the protesters last night who was suspended from duty? >> we contacted his department the minute we knew about that. we identified him. contacted his department, notified his department that he would be relieved from -- to respond to be a part of this incident, that that behavior was not going to be tolerated and my

personal opinion, i felt that that behavior disrespected his uniform and all the men and women that come out here each and every day and a dedicated effort to make ferguson a better place for all. thank you. >> captain ron johnson there, counting and walking through the successes, the achievements of local police 11 days after michael brown was shot not too far from that location you're seeing now. he walked through the successes. among them, no fires seen tonight. not a single shot fired, no shootings, no guns, no confrontations. >> no tear gas. >> none of the rubber bullets which we saw enflamed tensions. and also noted last night at this time he was talking about 47 arrests. only six opponetonight. he thanked local leaders, he's happy to see this kind of result, including clergy who

have taken this effort to be a buffer and they struck the balance between allowing peaceful protests and keeping the peace. >> he said he wanted to thank the law abiding men and women of ferguson that took a step towards healing. he said tonight the radio was mostly quiet and so were the streets. at 8:00 p.m., though, an officer was hit with a bottle, but he said that wasn't a major incident. no molotov cocktails and not a single handgun. >> and the sentiment was summed up in what he said about meeting u.s. attorney general eric holder, saying it wasn't a handshake. it was an embrace, this is how community policing should be done. we saw don lemon riding around with captain johnson and saying this is what we're talking about, if they can approach us as equals, we'll get more done and there will be more trust. >> when cnn's special coverage

continues, we're learning more about the failed mission by u.s. commandos to rescue james foley. after this very short break, we'll bring you that story along with a closer look at the life of this american journalist. stay with us. ounds]

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>> the u.s. has revealed that special operation units attempted a rescue mission inside syria this summer to free american citizens held by isis militants. >> that's right. and one u.s. official tells cnn that kidnapped journalist james foley was among those to be freed. but the mission failed when the captives weren't found at the target location. several isis militants were killed and one commando was wounded. this comes a day after news that isis beheaded foley as a warning to the u.s. to stop air strikes in iraq. >> we'll look at the work that he did that was so important to him and that so few are willing to do. >> james foley knew the dangers of being a war correspondent. he spent time embedded with u.s. troops in iraq and afghanistan and reported from the front

lines in libya and syria. he shot this video of rebel fighters in syria, used in a 2012 cnn report, risking his life to cover the story. capturing the often gruesome cost of the country's bloody civil war. >> he always conveyed to me that he wanted to be right there in the field at any risk, even if it's the ultimate risk of death, to cover a story first hand. and that was very important to him. >> in 2011, while reporting in libya, foley and several other journalists came under fire. one of this is friends, a south african photographer, was hit and lay dying. >> he said help, he said help, and i said are you okay? he said no. and more bullets came in, and i called out to him again. and there was no response. it's unreal, you know, why, why him and not me?

i was maybe 20 meters away from him. and you know, he had a family, three kids, beloved photographer for many years in johannesburg. and he wanted to do a two-week story on the battle. >> foley and several other reporters were kidnapped, held at a cell and interrogated for weeks. after 44 days, foley and the others were finally released. later in an interview with cnn, foley says he left libya with a larger perspective on life. >> i have to understand that the grace that has happened, there's a reason for being here -- >> what can i do from here on

out? >> foley continued to cover conflict in the middle east. in 2012, he went to syria and spent weeks filming the plight of doctors in olepo. he even helped raise money for an ambulance for the hospital. friends and colleagues say

>> the trend is good. yesterday's crowds were smaller than monday's. and as i said, the crowd was even smaller tonight.

we also had to respond to fewer incidents tonight. there were no molotov cocktails tonight, no fires, no shootings. >> captain ron johnson there speaking about five minutes or so ago, really telling us about the achievements of tonight. basically said there were no molotov cocktails, no tear gas, and he also said, tonight the radio was mostly quiet and so were the streets. well, a few nights ago, if you remember, captain ron johnson invited cnn to join him as he patrolled ferguson for a night. >> if you were tuned in, you watched it happen right here on our air. don lemon did take him up on the offer. here's what happened when he did. >> this is what we should have been doing all the time. take a look around. and this is what this community is saying, if we'd have had this, i'm sure communities around the country, just policemen coming out and speaking with us.

>> i just wanted to holler at you. >> i'm glad you did. it feels good just to walk and be relaxed in the neighborhood. >> and be safe. i've been in the neighborhood forever. and this is the first time i ever felt this safe. >> a new day is a coming. >> yes, sir. >> can i get my picture taken with you? >> yes. >> how you doing? >> nice to meet you. >> what's going on? >> what's up, man? doing all right? >> you don't think the police mingle with you guys? >> the only time they get out is to lock us up. >> or they ask you your name. >> me and him, standing in front of my house about a month ago, standing in front of my house, i seen the police drove right past my house. i knew he was going to come back, two minutes later, saying was we part of -- >> was we smoking marijuana in some apartment complex. >> i was like, no i just stepped

out the house. >> so you don't feel like they're part of the community? >> no, i don't. >> do you think their relationship would be better if they did what he's doing? >> all they want to do is take us off the streets. no matter what your purpose is. >> i know y'all probably heard from mom, grandma, how you approach somebody is how they approach you back. so when they come to us, why you grabbing on me, can you explain what i did first, what was the reason you messing with me in the first place? if i'm on the sidewalk, you could have said, why are you on the sidewalk. he could have approached me like a man, instead of cursing. why we got to be this or that, why can't it be like, young man, let me talk to you for a second. but if you jumping out with me and i feel animosity, i feel like i'm maybe do your job today then. >> so it's how somebody approaches you? >> yes. >> so if they approach with respect, you respond with

respect. >> that's with any human being. they're approaching us like you caught me selling dope. you just pull me over. okay, i pulled you over because your pants was sagging. can you pull them up. >> i can pull them, no problem. >> i have to ask you, you got to meet with the attorney general today. >> yes. >> what was that like? >> it was -- it was an honor, but it was touching. what did you talk about? >> i reached out my hand to shake his hand. that's the top law enforcement officer in this nation. and he put out both of his hands and he just hugged me. and he said, this is what policing is about. this is what policing has to be. and what a great statement. >> did you talk about anything? did he tell you about what he wants to happen in this

community? what can you share with us? >> he said, what we're seeing now, community policing, getting out and being a part of the community, to me, that's what he's saying is what's needed. >> so he talked to you about community policing, not about the case at all? >> no, he just hugged me and said this is what policing should be. what you're showing the people is what policing should do. that's all we talked about. it probably lasted two or three minutes, then he was meeting some community leaders there and talking with them. >> the family wasn't there yet? >> no. >> do you think it will make a difference that he came here? >> i think so. i think it shows that the white house, you know, our government at the highest level, has heard the voices of the people that are here. and so it's kind of like the theory about the highest hill and the lowest valley. that white house, i consider

that the highest hill. our communities sometimes are the valleys. so when our voices can be heard there, i think the protesters out here, the peaceful protesters out here, can understand that. >> okay, the other thing is, the st. ann officer pointing his gun, the semi- automatic weapon and using the foul language. the video is out there now. what do you want to say about that? >> that was inappropriate. it will not be tolerated. his department has been informed of that. and they have instructed he will not be assigned to this detail for any additional further days. >> what did you think when you heard about it and saw the video? >> i was upset. disappointed. angered.

and that is not -- i thought it was disrespectful to every officer that's out here, who's been out here since sunday. >> seems so simple. they just want to be treated like equals. >> at the very least, ron johnson appears to be listening and the different approach appears to be working. >> so far so good. >> you're watching cnn's special coverage. >> we'll be back with much more from ferguson, missouri, right after this break. at humana, we believe the gap will close when healthcare gets simpler. when frustration and paperwork decrease. when grandparents get to live at home instead of in a home. so let's do it. let's simplify healthcare. let's close the gap between people and care.

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>> no just god would stand for what they did yesterday and what they do every single day. >> like a cancer that must be stopped. barack obama calls for action against isis. now there's word of a failed mission to save the journalist. cooler heads prevail in ferguson, missouri. quote, we will not stop. israel kills three high-ranking members of hamas. also ahead. the lure of jihad. why a growing number of westerners are being lured. we begin with the brutal execution of james foley. >>