Most interested observers will remember October 2014 when CNN headlines were proclaiming Ferguson Police Chief Tom Jackson as: “expected to step down”. When immediately asked about the report Jackson said he had “no idea” where this information was coming from, and held no disposition to leave his job.
Now the details begin to surface of private meetings between all the Democrat political officer holders and “officials” who were -unknown to Tom Jackson- trying to leverage Chief Jackson out of his role. Those people include:
♦ Missouri Senator, Claire McCaskill; ♦ Missouri State Attorney General Chris Koster; ♦ Saint Louis Mayor Francis Slay; ♦ the Mayor’s Chief of Staff, Jeff Rainford; ♦ Missouri House speaker John Diehl; ♦ then-St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley; ♦ U.S. Congressman William Lacy Clay; ♦ and the man they wanted to replace Tom Jackson, St. Louis County police lieutenant, Troy Doyle.
In addition, the buried lede from the AP article is the growing evidence that Missouri Democrat Governor Jay Nixon gave deliberate instructions to the National Guard, specifically to leave the area of Ferguson unprotected as the grand jury announcement was made public.
The Governor’s instructions are part of the email communication between the same city officials who conspired to remove Chief Jackson.
Governor Nixon’s instructions had the intended consequence to leave the area unprotected. Ultimately this decision had the desired outcome as riots, looting and arson destroyed parts of the city and dozens of businesses.
“If I get up there, I’m gonna start a riot” […] “Burn this bitch down!”
FERGUSON – Some of Missouri’s top leaders tried unsuccessfully to pressure Ferguson Police Chief Tom Jackson to resign after the fatal shooting of Michael Brown, interviews with several elected officials and records released Friday show.
Ferguson Mayor James Knowles III told The Associated Press that top state officials had several meetings where they applied pressure on the city to force Jackson to resign. Missouri House Speaker John Diehl and U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill confirmed they both attended a fall meeting to discuss whether Jackson should be forced out.
Also, records provided to AP under an open records request include a Nov. 10 email from St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar to an assistant that describes an apparent meeting of state and local officials. It references the potential timing of Jackson’s “separation” and identifies a potential successor.
Knowles on Friday refused to name any of the officials who urged Jackson’s removal.
“I was at a lot of meetings where that was brought up,” Knowles said. “There were different people advocating for the chief to be fired or quit or whatever. I want to make it clear: We never considered that.”
A message left with Jackson was not returned.
McCaskill confirmed in a written statement that she attended such a meeting ? one of many involving community leaders, elected officials and members of law enforcement, the statement said.
“And a variety of issues were discussed to help ease tension in the St. Louis region, and address systemic issues highlighted in Ferguson-issues including personnel changes at the Ferguson police department,” the statement said.
St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay and his chief of staff, Jeff Rainford, attended several such meetings, Rainford said.
[…] The email also made reference to a request to Gov. Jay Nixon to place the National Guard in front of Ferguson police headquarters on the date of the grand jury announcement. “Apparently the guard will not move to the FPD per the governor,” the email said.
Knowles and others were critical of the decision not to have the Guard in place in Ferguson at the time of the announcement, after a dozen area businesses were destroyed in fires during protests. (read more)
