U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt, a Republican, said Brown’s death was tragic, and this his “first priority” now is “peacefully healing and rebuilding the community after months of unrest.”
“My thoughts are with Michael Brown’s family today, as well as those in law enforcement who continue to protect the rights of all they serve, the National Guard members we ask to step forward during difficult times in our state, and all of their family members,” he said. “Michael’s death was tragic, and the months since this tragedy have marked a challenging time in Ferguson and across Missouri. Together, I know we can move forward and heal as we work to find better job opportunities in and more investment for challenged communities.”
Attorney General Chris Koster, a Democrat, said “the lasting lessons” revealed by Brown’s shooting “are yet to be realized.”
“The death of Michael Brown has caused every Missourian to reflect deeply on divides that continue to exist within our state,” he said in an emailed statement. “While Missouri’s law enforcement community is professional and dedicated to protecting our state’s citizens, these events call on all leaders to explore solutions that increase confidence and communication across those divides.”
While the world was watching Ferguson Monday night, so too was James Furgerson, Joplin’s interim fire chief. He said his department was put on alert to be ready to assist other departments if any civil unrest broke out in the St. Louis region.
“We were approached and are on a list for this area to help out if needed,” he said on Monday.
Joplin is one of many Missouri cities that are part of a mutual-aid agreement. It is the same system that was activated in 2011 when a deadly tornado struck Joplin and strained local emergency responders.
Furgerson said he had agreed to send one engine with four personnel and a leader if needed. What would be most likely, he said, is the Joplin team would “backfill” another agency closer to St. Louis in its response. If, for example, a fire truck from Rolla is dispatched to St. Louis, the Joplin team could be dispatched there to assist the Rolla department.
“They were down here and helped us, so if they need the help, we’ll definitely reciprocate,” he said. “We were told we are further down on the list and would likely backfill and assist that way, as opposed to going into Ferguson.”
The pre-emptive response from emergency agencies is only one part of the broader statewide response following Gov. Jay Nixon’s declaration of a state emergency last week in anticipation of the announcement. The order activated the State Emergency Management Agency, and allowed Nixon to active the Missouri National Guard.
The National Guard kept close to its chest exactly how many servicemen were in the St. Louis region and where exactly they would be posted. They did appear overnight to protect government buildings, including the St. Louis County Courthouse in Clayton, where St. Louis Prosecuting Attorney Bob McCulloch made his announcement on Monday night.
What is equally unclear is where, exactly, in Missouri all of the National Guard troops are from. As recently as Saturday, National Guard trucks were seen traveling from Southwest Missouri on Interstate 44 in the direction of St. Louis. When asked whether National Guard members were being activated from Joplin-area locations, two representatives for the Missouri National Guard told a reporter to ask the Missouri Department of Public Safety’s “State Information Center.”
The center, in an unsigned email on Monday to the Globe, said it would not discuss “specific operational details” of where the National Guard troops were from.
The police response to protests Monday night was managed by the St. Louis County Police Department, Nixon said last week. They will coordinate with the St. Louis Police Department and the Missouri State Highway Patrol. The Ferguson Police Department, Nixon said, will not be involved in policing the protests.