Monday on MSNBC’s “NewsNation with Tamron Hall,” Al Sharpton said it’s “sickening” that the authorities response to protests and riots in Ferguson is to turn the St. Louis suburb into a “police state.”
Sharpton said, “The definition of a police state is don’t question me. Whether it’s Staten Island, whether it’s L.A., whether it’s Ferguson, we are close to where police are saying ‘whatever we do don’t raise any questions. and that’s dangerous in a democracy and I think that’s the outrage that a lot of people saying, wait a minute, you have two dead bodies between Staten Island and Ferguson. you have people dead and you don’t want us to ask you how.”
“It’s very close to a police state no matter what you do, you’re wrong to question us. even if you do anything to protest, you’re a troublemaker. That is sickening.” he added.
The MSNBC host also discussed Michael Brown’s newly released autopsy results by saying, “What is disturbing to me is the amount of shooting, which means even if we buy the story that’s the police has given, why were there shots after the first shot? And they were not shot at close range, if he was running away from the policeman, that’s extremely disturbing. And the one on top of his head. I’m told by his mother he was 6′-4″. He had to be down in order to be shot in the top of his head. This preliminary autopsy is extremely disturbing to me.”
Sharpton ended the segment by demanding all the potential, although so far undeclared presidential candidates comment on the case saying, “I’m amazed that we’re not hearing from leading candidates Chris Christie or Rand Paul has spoken but Jeb Bush or Hillary Clinton. And I’ve heard over and over again — and rightfully so, what is President Obama going to do?”
“He’s the president and he has spoke on it twice throughout vacation the Attorney General, but all vacation,” he continued. “The candidates I landed in New York this morning. I saw Chris Christie dancing with Jamie Fox. why aren’t we asking since they’re in stays where we have what would you do? It’s a national central issue. Anyone running for president needs to come up with a formula, or in my opinion, they forfeit their right to be taken seriously.”
Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN
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