[Banfield:] With the National Guard being deployed, we still have no clue what today and tonight are going to be in Ferguson, Missouri. What kind of action those streets might see. Last night, what began as peaceful protests spiraled into chaos after two people were shot and injured. The highway patrol says those civilians were not shot by the police, and they say some protesters were hurling Molotov cocktails at the police as well. All of this despite a curfew that was in place. And Michael Brown's attorney asking for calm. Our Don Lemon is on the ground for us in Ferguson, Missouri. Don, who is it that it is supposed is causing the trouble at night? Because by day things are calm. By night, does anyone really know who these people are?
[Don Lemon, Cnn Anchor:] No, they don't really know, but they have some idea that some of it is caused by outside agitators. Some of it is caused by people who are within the town. They believe that some of it may be caused by gang bangers, but they believe that it's an orchestrated effort. And the small amount of people, small number of people I should say who are committing the violent protests, the unruly protests, are people who just want a reason to act out anyways. They want a reason to steal. They want a reason to loot. They want to reason to fire things into the crowd. So it is believed to be obviously younger people as well. But they also think there's some outside agitation coming in from groups, anarchistic-type groups who come in and they like to see chaos and these things occur. I like to keep reiterating, it's a small number of people doing that. Most of the protesters here are peaceful and they just want their voice heard.
[Banfield:] And, Don, is there any sense every day, there's new information and it sometimes raises more questions than answers. We've just had this news conference from Dr. Michael Baden and the family of Michael Brown with regard to the second autopsy. Has that information filtered down to the street yet and is there any sense on how it's being digested?
[Lemon:] Absolutely. Everything gets here pretty quickly and usually during press conferences, depending on where you are, if you're at one of the protest places, you'll hear the press conferences on loud speaker and people are listening intently. They believe from the number of shots from the autopsy at least six shots that it was overkill or it was excessive, I should say, it's a better way of putting it. They believe that it was excessive. They believe that obviously his hands were up, as witnesses have been saying. And they also think that the shot to the head, this is in their opinion, their belief, that that was over the top. That's what killed him and that was unnecessary. So yes, it's trickling down. And so Ashleigh, there are a number of factors here that we have to really look at and we have to take an honest look at and we have to be vigilant about. That is, number one, the autopsy results that people are not happy with. Number two, the National Guard coming in and concerns about people feeling like they are occupied again. And then of course the possibility of violence here. Where we are, just moments ago, they said that people couldn't congregate here, that they could protest if they wanted to, but they couldn't stop, they couldn't congregate. It appears, if you look around, that police have backed off of that because it caused some consternation here. People were saying, you know, it's my right, I want to assemble here. Rather than cause some anger and some resentment, the cops relented a bit and now they're just standing here, having a presence and keeping a close watch.
[Banfield:] OK, Don Lemon, keep an eye on things for us, if you would. Let us know if anything changes over the course of this hour. Our Don Lemon has been doing terrific work in the streets of Ferguson. Now I want to bring in Retired U.S. Army Lieutenant General Russel Honore in Baton Rouge, Louisiana along with Cedric Alexander who is the president of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives. He's also the public safety director in DeKalb County outside of Atlanta. General Honore, if I could begin with you. You heard Don Lemon just reporting on the notion that people feel as though with the onslaught of the National Guard arriving in Ferguson, it's feeling a little like they're occupied. What would your recommendation be for this community, given what we've seen transpire over the last week, night by night by night? Is the National Guard the right thing to do? LT. GEN. RUSSEL HONORE, U.S. ARMY I think, you know, Mr. Alexander, there have been a lot of critics who have said this police presence, be it the county, be it the state, highway patrol or, now, the National Guard, they're damned if they do, damned if they don't. When they held back, when the looting happened, they were criticized. When they went in too hard because the protesters wouldn't disperse, they were criticized. Does the National Guard have any kind of blueprint that they can follow so as not to take it from either side of this debate?
[Cedric Alexander, Public Safety Director, Dekalb County, Georgia:] Well, I will certainly lean to the general to probably more appropriate person to answer that question, considering his experience. However, I will say this from my own experience, is that the National Guard historically have had a great reputation. We've seen that over the years and being able to manage crowds under these types of circumstances. So I believe we have to give the Guard an opportunity to go in there tonight, based on how they're trained, with the equipment that they're going to bring with them, that will probably be far more appropriate for what we're seeing out there on the streets in Ferguson.
[Banfield:] Yes, I'd only have to just add that the National Guard didn't have such a good reputation in the '60s, given, you know, peaceful protests and people who were fired upon. But things have certainly been different since. General Honore, sometimes it seems at least recently that the presence of more law enforcement, especially a militarized appearance of law enforcement, begets more violence. Meaning those who don't like the notion of law enforcement only see more and only get angrier. Do you not see there is this strange cycle playing out?
[Honore:] Well, from the last few days, again, as I've come to realize, Ashleigh, I think they're going to have to find a political narrative that they can connect with the people on and move in that direction. Because I don't think more police is going to solve the issues in this town. They can provide security and hopefully provide safety for the people, but they're not going to solve the problem, more police.
[Banfield:] Mr. Alexander, General Honore just used that term "political narrative." I'm going to you a two-pronged question. That is number one, are you advising any of the law enforcement still in operation in this community? And if you are still advising them or if you could, what would you recommend the political narrative be for the way they actually effectuate their work in the streets at night?
[Alexander:] Well, what I will say going forward, I think it's an opportunity for the guard right now to be at the forefront of this so that the police can somewhat fall to the back. I think part of the problem here, much of the problem is here, is that there is a great deal of distrust between police in that community. The community there just does not trust the police whatsoever. So that's where you get to the point of where being darned if you do, darned if you don't. Those bridges are going to have to be worked on. But it's very difficult to work on those bridges when each and every night, you have the police saying that is the crowd is making actions towards them that's creating these types of events. But yet, still, if you listen to the crowd, they would say that it's the police. So I don't know who the observers are in this who can be objective, but I think, in life, we can't determine that, and it is somewhat suspect on both sides, in my opinion. I think it's important that the Guard come in at this point. We're going to see, going forward, potentially, who's the real initiators in this. One thing I'm very comfortable with, the National Guard, in recent years, have certainly demonstrated they can manage these types of crowds. If we see that tonight and night2s going forward, that might give us a clearer indication as to what direction we need to be going into.
[Banfield:] I certainly hope we do see exactly what you're suggesting. Yes, go ahead, General Honore.
[Honore:] If I might say, Ashleigh, Missouri is one of the few states with two military police battalions. All those troops have deployed at least once. They're well trained. They have the right type of troops, military police, to do law enforcement. In many cases, some states don't have military police so they'll put infantry troops. This governor has at his disposal two battalions of military police. They're sending about 200. So these are trained policemen that are coming in to assist in this task, and I assume that's who he selected for this task. We'll see if the coming hours here as they show up.
[Banfield:] OK, General Honore, thank you so much for your time. Cedrick Alexander, thank you as well. Just invaluable input at this time when it is so critical to have your very moderate voices and your very wise voices. Thank you to you both. Another witness to the final moments of Michael Brown's life coming forward. Ahead, what her cell phone video reveals and what she says she saw that day.