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WASHINGTON -- Local police forces need military equipment to fight terrorism, members of Congress argued in June when they successfully beat back legislation that would have restricted the Defense Department's ability to transfer such weaponry to police departments.
During a late-night debate on an annual defense appropriations bill, Rep. Alan Grayson (D-Fla.) tried to attach an amendment to demilitarize the police. Specifically, his measure would have blocked a Defense Department program that provides surplus military equipment -- Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles and M16 assault rifles, among other things -- to local law enforcement, free of charge.
The House crushed Grayson's effort, with 355 votes against it and 62 for it. Ahead of the vote, lawmakers argued that it's good for local law enforcement to have access to weapons used in war zones. One member warned it would "devastate" police departments if they didn't have access to such equipment.
"As a past sheriff, we utilized that equipment in a responsible way," said Rep. Richard Nugent (R-Fla.). "End of the day, you can always find misuses of any equipment that's given or utilized by law enforcement. It's the responsibility of those communities to keep that law enforcement agency in check. But to just outright ban the usage of that equipment would devastate local law enforcement agencies across the nation."
He added, "This is absolutely ludicrous to think the equipment that's utilized by law enforcement is utilized for any reason other than public safety."
Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-N.J.) said he welcomed the use of military equipment in his state, where many people died in the Sept. 11, 2011, terrorist attacks.
"It's not misused," he said. "And the law enforcement agencies in the Northeast that benefit from this equipment have used it to make sure that all of our citizens are protected. And not only in the Northeast."
Grayson pointed out that police aren't using military weapons for terrorists.
"Where is the terrorism on our streets? Instead, these weapons are being used to arrest barbers and to terrorize the general population," he said. "In fact, one might venture to say that the weapons are often used by a majority to terrorize a minority."
Concerns about police militarization were thrust into the forefront this week as local law enforcement in Ferguson, Missouri, rolled out armored vehicles and sprayed rubber bullets and tear gas onto mostly peaceful protesters. People in the St. Louis suburb have gathered in the streets for days to protest the fatal shooting of an unarmed black teenager, Michael Brown, by a police officer on Saturday.
One Missouri Democrat who voted against Grayson's amendment, Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, said Friday that he was concerned the measure was overly broad.
"We need to re-evaluate distributing this kind of war equipment to municipalities," Cleaver said in a statement to The Huffington Post. "And if we are going to do it, we must at least have other requirements, including something as simple as adequate training."
Legally, the Defense Department program has the ability to pass along all types of military-grade weapons to police departments. Grayson listed them during June's House debate: grenade launchers, silencers, toxicological agents, chemical agents, biological agents, launch vehicles, guided missiles, ballistic missiles, rockets, torpedoes, bombs, mines and nuclear weapons.
Nugent scoffed at the idea that any of those things would end up in the hands of local police.
"All the helicopters we had in our fleet are all surplus helicopters that flew as far back as Vietnam. Some of the weapons that we have come from the military. We didn't receive any bombs."
Watch the House debate in the video above.
Zach Carter contributed reporting.
USA Today's Yamiche Alcindor provides an intimate look at how Michael Brown's parents have been dealing with the loss of their son:
Phones constantly ring with reporters asking for interviews or family members offering support. Last week, as demands reached a tipping point, both parents moved into hotels to shield themselves.
In the days leading up to the funeral, Brown's mother continued to cry and spoke in whispers as she tried to explain her feelings.
"They say tomorrow is going to be the hardest day, but I think today was — just seeing my baby laying there, cold," Lesley McSpadden, 34, told USA TODAY. "It did something to my heart. It's too much. It's too much."
New audio has surfaced that allegedly captures the moment when Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager, was shot dead by Darren Wilson, a white police officer, on Aug. 9.
CNN aired the unverified recording on Monday night. Six shots can be heard, followed by a pause, then several more. A private autopsy performed on Aug. 17 at the request of Brown's family found that the 18-year-old was shot 6 times, including twice in the head.
Al Sharpton: America, it's time to deal with policing. We are not the haters we are the healers. #MikeBrown #MikeBrownFuneral
— HuffPost BlackVoices (@blackvoices) August 25, 2014
Rev. Al Sharpton: All of us are required to respond to this #MikeBrownfuneral
— HuffPost BlackVoices (@blackvoices) August 25, 2014
Benjamin Crump: We will not accept 3/5 justice, we demand equal justice for #MikeBrown #MikeBrownFuneral
— HuffPost BlackVoices (@blackvoices) August 25, 2014
USA Today reporter, Yamiche Alcindor shares photo of program which includes tributes to Michael Brown from his mother and father
The program includes tributes from both the mother and father of #MichaelBrown pic.twitter.com/CbAPy8xKEq
— Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) August 25, 2014
Stepmother of #MichaelBrown said the late teen "pretty much prophesied his own death and didn't realize it."
— Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) August 25, 2014
#MikeBrown's best friend speaking. Says not long before his death, he admitted that he had been dreaming about death. #MikeBrownfuneral
— T.J. Holmes (@tjholmes) August 25, 2014
The program for the funeral of #MichaelBrown pic.twitter.com/PKzGgC20Yl
— Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) August 25, 2014
Funeral program includes photos of #MichaelBrown from several stages of life pic.twitter.com/fjhaqu26Xm
— Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) August 25, 2014
Folks still trying to get inside at #MichaelBrown funeral. pic.twitter.com/cwKo3ILkuI
— Doug Moore (@dougwmoore) August 25, 2014
Michael Brown funeral: sanctuary beginning to fill up. Tom Joyner, Spike Lee, Rep. Maxine Waters, Rev. Jesse Jackson in house.
— Joy Reid (@JoyAnnReid) August 25, 2014
Waiting for #mikebrown family pic.twitter.com/XNCQMw12bG
— Molly Hennessy-Fiske (@mollyhf) August 25, 2014
Captain Ron johnson just arrived #mikebrown funeral--guess nyt was wrong... pic.twitter.com/pCVhNas8xu
— Molly Hennessy-Fiske (@mollyhf) August 25, 2014
Funeral supposed to start in 10 mins. Hundreds in overflow room put their hands up. pic.twitter.com/ueSfBiv6Iv
— Wesley Lowery (@WesleyLowery) August 25, 2014
This morning I will attend Mike Brown's memorial service as a mother, not as an elected official.
— Claire McCaskill (@clairecmc) August 25, 2014
Many here at Michael Brown's funeral are wearing T-shirts and buttons memorializing their deceased loved ones.
— Victor Blackwell CNN (@VictorCNN) August 25, 2014
MSNBC reports:
Casket in place for#MikeBrown's funeral today. #Ferguson pic.twitter.com/qEMD4yQ4WL
— Amanda M. Sakuma (@iamsakuma) August 25, 2014
Security lines sidewalk where family will enter at #MikeBrown funeral pic.twitter.com/SKnQOFPSKM
— Emily Kassie (@emilykassie) August 25, 2014
Michael Brown's father asks for peace while 'we lay our son to rest' http://t.co/yFq6cl3HGt via @dailykos
— Jonas Grumby (@Scytherius) August 25, 2014
MSNBC reports:
Gov. Nixon will not be attending Michael Brown’s funeral “out of respect for the family.” #Ferguson
— Amanda M. Sakuma (@iamsakuma) August 25, 2014
Some guests entering the funeral with 'hands up' #Ferguson pic.twitter.com/FOPMIVCwGC
— Laurie Skrivan (@LaurieSkrivan) August 25, 2014
CNN reports:
Link http://t.co/m42jTfBTe7 RT @EliottCNN Sanctuary filling fast for #MikeBrown's funeral in #StLouis. pic.twitter.com/gsfS6XDma5
— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) August 25, 2014
Missouri congressman Lacy Clay (D) said on Thursday that he had "serious concerns" about the prosecutor in charge of Michael Brown's case.
"I also have serious concerns about the local prosecutors, about their ability to fairly prosecute this case in the interests of justice. To deliver justice to this community, or to Michael Brown's family. And I say that because we have a track record," Clay told CNN.
Prosecuting Attorney Robert McCulloch has come under heavy scrutiny in the days following Brown's death. Critics say that McCulloch's ties to law enforcement will cloud his judgement and have called on Governor Jay Nixon (D) to appoint a special prosecutor instead. A petition against him has received over 70,000 signatures.
McCulloch's father was a police officer killed in the line of duty.
For his part, McCulloch has promised that his investigation will be fair and thorough. In a statement, he said:
I have no intention of walking away from the responsibilities and duties entrusted to me by the people of this community. Additionally, there is no basis in the law to do so. I have faithfully and fairly carried out those responsibilities and duties for more than two decades and will continue to do so for at least the next four years.
Nixon has also repeatedly insisted that he won't take McCulloch off the case.
Alana Horowitz
Large, peaceful group down on Canfield right now at the site of #MikeBrown's death in #Ferguson. pic.twitter.com/AJoBv4Jl7G
— Antonio French (@AntonioFrench) August 21, 2014
Deval Patrick, the only black governor in the US currently: 'I'm sick of unarmed black men being shot by police' http://t.co/1SbjhcXQMY
— Wesley Lowery (@WesleyLowery) August 21, 2014
Arrest info from last night #Ferguson pic.twitter.com/e7JADkXkgm
— Ryan J. Reilly (@ryanjreilly) August 21, 2014
From HuffPost's Dave Jamieson:
Like the rest of the St. Louis community, including their own teachers, Gateway students had emotional discussions about being black in America, about mistrust of the police, about peaceful demonstration and violent protest. They were asked to write down what they were feeling about Ferguson, with the assurance that no sentiments were out of bounds.
Click here to read excerpts from the responses penned by a group of 7th and 8th graders at the school.
Washington Post reports that Darren Wilson was injured following a scuffle with Michael Brown before he shot and killed him.
A family friend told WaPo that Wilson's eye bone was fractured. Fox News reported similar information earlier this week, citing a police source.
Another source told CNN that these reports are false.
Last week, Ferguson Police Chief Tom Jackson told reporters that Wilson was taken to the hospital following the incident, but did not say for what.
Rumor floating that Dorian Johnson has recanted/changed his version of story.
His attorney tells me: "it's not true. Pure propaganda!"
— Wesley Lowery (@WesleyLowery) August 20, 2014
HuffPost's Arthur Delaney reports:
When Attorney General Eric Holder went to Ferguson, Missouri, on Wednesday, he assured local residents the U.S. Justice Department will swiftly investigate the police killing of an unarmed black teenager on Aug. 9.
In meetings with locals, Holder emphasized how his own past experiences will inform his work overseeing the Justice Department's investigation of Michael Brown's killing. He told students at a community college there that police searched his car when he'd been stopped for speeding on the New Jersey Turnpike.
"I remember how humiliating that was and how angry I was and the impact it had on me," Holder said. "The same kid who got stopped on the New Jersey freeway is now the attorney general of the United States."
But Holder's critics point out that this is the same man who was woefully soft on bad cops when he served as Washington, D.C.'s top prosecutor in the mid-1990s.
"Relying on Holder to take action is like sending a guy with a cup of water to put out a wildfire," said Gregory Lattimer, an attorney who has represented family members of people killed by D.C. police, including DeOnte Rawlings, a 14-year-old boy shot in the back of the head by an off-duty officer in 1997.
"[Holder] was part of the problem in D.C., not the solution," Lattimer said. "He says all the right things and then he goes out and defends the status quo."
Read more here.