Governor Sends National Guard Units To Ferguson
CHICAGO (CBS) -- After a night of violent protests in Ferguson, Missouri, with at least a dozen businesses burned to the ground, residents were left wondering why it had to happen.
After it was announced a grand jury declined to indict Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson for the Aug. 9 shooting death of Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager, many protesters began looting local businesses, destroying police cars, and setting buildings on fire.
On Tuesday, Missouri Governor Jay Nixon ordered 2,200 National Guard units into Ferguson. Late Tuesday night, protestors in Ferguson were seen surrounding a police car and setting it on fire.
"We are bringing more resources to Ferguson and other parts of the reason to prevent a repetition of the lawlessness experienced overnight," Nixon said.
Wilson gave his first interview to ABC News and said that the witnesses who said Brown approached him with his hands up were incorrect and that if Michael Brown were white, the incident would have unfolded in the same way.
CBS 2's Brad Edwards reports the damage in many pockets of Ferguson was after Monday extensive, and residents were wondering aloud why authorities, knowing the Michael Brown case was a potential powder keg, didn't have a better plan in place to at least mitigate some of the bedlam.
Residents also wanted to know why the National Guard was not ordered in until late Monday night.
More than a dozen buildings were burned to the ground. At least 60 people were arrested during the protests, and at least 16 people were treated for injuries at area hospitals.
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Tuesday morning, St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay and St. Louis Police Chief Sam Dotson addressed the violent protests in suburban Ferguson.
"I want to first and foremost condemn the terrible violence that occurred in Ferguson. It's unacceptable. It's wrong," Slay said
Dotson said there would be a heightened police presence at organized public events as a result of the violent protests.
"We're going to continue to see the presence of the police department at organized events, just as we have seen, but you're going to see more of them," he said.
Brown's family planned to speak to the media on Tuesday. Their lawyer earlier "the system needs to be indicted" in the wake of the grand jury's decision not to indict Wilson.
Wilson also was speaking out, though through a friend who read a letter the officer wrote.
"Please keep my family in blue in your hearts and prayers. They have all made a sacrifice of their own lives in order to work the excessive hours, through the heat and rain, to insure that the riots and protests in Ferguson were as safe as they could be," Wilson wrote.
Protests continued Tuesday morning, though peacefully.
Meantime, officials reinforced metal fencing around the Ferguson police headquarters and fire station with concrete barricades.