Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon (D) pledged “a different tone” and “operational shifts” in Ferguson, Mo., the site of ongoing confrontations between police and protesters after the police shooting of a black teen, though he did not offer specifics.
“You will see a different tone,” Nixon said at a community event in suburban St. Louis. He plans to address the media again at 2:30 p.m. CT, adding that there would be “operational things that we’re doing to make that shift today.”
“We just can’t have lawlessness,” Nixon added. “We’ve got use this energy as an excuse to push forward… We must make sure that justice prevails.”
Nixon said that he had spoken with President Barack Obama shortly before making his comments.
He also criticized the arrests of two reporters on Wednesday night.
“If the news want to cover and take pictures of stuff, they ought to do it,” he said. “We live in a free country.”