President Obama said Thursday that “now is the time for healing” after a series of clashes between protesters and police over the shooting of a black teenager in Ferguson, Mo., but he also called for an open and transparent investigation “to see that justice is done” in the case.
Speaking from Martha’s Vineyard, Mass., where he is on vacation, Obama said that many Americans “have been deeply disturbed” by images of violence in the St. Louis suburb following the police shooting Saturday afternoon of Michael Brown, an unarmed 18-year-old African American who was headed to technical college this week.
“When something like this happens, local authorities, including the police, have a responsibility to be open and transparent about how they are investigating that death,” Obama said.
At the same time, he said, “there is never an excuse for violence against police or for those who would use this tragedy as a cover for vandalism or looting.” Obama added: “There is also no excuse for police to use excessive force against peaceful protests or to throw protesters in jail for lawfully exercising their First Amendment rights. And here in the United States of America, police should not be arresting or bullying journalists who are just trying to do their jobs.”
Obama addressed the issue after a fourth night of clashes between police and residents in Ferguson. The fatal shooting by police of Brown there Saturday afternoon has evolved into a national debate over justice in African American communities.
According to a friend who witnessed the incident, Brown was walking down a Ferguson street when a police officer in a car ordered him to get on the sidewalk. Brown, who had been headed to technical college this week, had his hands in the air to show he was unarmed when the officer shot him multiple times, the friend said. The police version is that Brown attacked the officer in his car and tried to grab his gun.
Obama attended a birthday party in Martha’s Vineyard for a friend Wednesday during the latest unrest. Police fired tear gas at protesters, and two reporters, including one from The Washington Post, were arrested while covering the events.
Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. pledged Monday that the Justice Department would assist local investigators in a thorough review of the case, a probe he said was necessary to preserve “trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve.”
The Ferguson police department bears little demographic resemblance to the mostly African American community, where suspicions of law enforcement existed long before the shooting.
In a one-paragraph written statement Tuesday, Obama called Brown’s death “heartbreaking.” He urged Ferguson and communities across the country to “remember this young man through reflection and understanding,” adding: “We should comfort each other and talk with one another in a way that heals, not in a way that wounds.”
Before Obama spoke, Ferguson Mayor James Knowles said in an interview on CNN that the arrest of the two reporters Wednesday night “appeared regrettable.” He added, “We will make sure that reporters are treated in a proper fashion.”
Knowles also said that the release of names of police officers by the group Anonymous has jeopardized their safety. “None of those officers have anything to do with what went on,” he said. “Anybody now who’s named is absolutely in danger.”
In concluding his remarks about Ferguson on Thursday, Obama said that while “emotions are raw right now” in the suburb and accounts of the tragedy differ, “let’s remember that we’re all part of one American family.”
“Now is the time for healing,” Obama said. “Now is the time for peace and calm on the streets of Ferguson. Now is the time for an open and transparent process to see that justice is done. And I’ve asked the attorney general and the U.S. attorney on the scene to continue to work with local officials to move that process forward.”
Obama did not take questions from reporters after his remarks.
David Nakamura contributed to this report.
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