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County police to again control Ferguson security after more protests

Ferguson police arrested 13 protesters Thursday night

Associated Press

FERGUSON, Mo. — St. Louis County police are again taking control of Ferguson security after another round of overnight protester arrests.

The county said Friday that the change takes place immediately and comes at the request of Ferguson’s mayor and Police Chief Tom Jackson, who cited a “lack of resources and manpower.”

Ferguson police arrested 13 protesters Thursday night in a move that some organizers called an excessive response to peaceful and lawful demonstrations.

County police were briefly in charge of Ferguson crowd control after the early August shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Brown by Ferguson officer Darren Wilson.

When the protests escalated, Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon summoned the state Highway Patrol and then the Missouri National Guard to keep order before the local police department took over those duties.

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