Missouri – Officials say a police officer who was part of the effort to keep peace during protests in Ferguson has been suspended for pointing a semi-automatic assault rifle at demonstrators, then cursing and threatening to kill one of them.
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A protester captured the exchange on video that has been posted to YouTube and several websites.
St. Louis County police spokesman Brian Schellman says the incident involving an officer from the St. Ann Police Department happened late Tuesday. His name hasn’t been released.
Schellman says a county police sergeant took immediate action, telling the officer to lower the weapon and escorting him from the area. The officer was suspended indefinitely.
The protest was among many in Ferguson since Aug. 9, when 18-year-old Michael Brown was shot and killed by a police officer.
Video below: WARNING – EXPLICIT LANGUAGE.
Unfortunately, there were other cops who pointed their rifles at peaceful demonstrators. The first thing that any firearm safety instructor will tell his students, is to never point a loaded weapon at anyone, unless you intend to us it. The cop who was suspended, was a loose cannon. There was another incident caught on tape of another suburban St. Louis area cop cursing out some journalists, grabbing one by the wrist, and threatening bodily harm, because they didn’t move their camera away from an area fast enough. It is a miracle that some of these psychos did not open fire into the crowd with live ammunition, and that nobody was blinded by the rubber bullets. Also, I’m glad that the National Guard did not become actively involved, as someone in the crowd might have been killed.