The first Ferguson Commission meeting convened Monday and it went about as badly as many predicted, ultimately “marred by outbursts from angry residents,” with one black teen shouted down by the crowd after he said Officer Darren Wilson “did his job.”
USA Today reports that several members of the Ferguson committee, “fed up with the hour-long process,” became disruptive:
Too much talk, not enough action — that was the outcry from people in the community who came out to this first commission meeting at the Ferguson Community Center.
Around 3:45, after introductions and procedural issues, the community members had enough. One woman stood up saying she wanted to speak.
Soon many in the crowded room were yelling at the commission members.
Anthony Levine, a Ferguson property owner, said, "I spent $5,000 out of my own pocket to help the Ferguson community, giving them kids food, school supplies, Halloween costumes. I don't see y'all doing anything."
Dell Taylor, a Spanish Lake resident, said, "I believe in keeping it real, keeping it raw if it's OK with everybody. My son sat here and said, 'He may be interested, her over there, yeah, she may be concerned, but the rest of them, they're just sitting here.'"
At one point, a black male student defended Darren Wilson, saying he “did his job.” He was quickly shouted down by the volatile crowd.
The Ferguson Commission was created by embattled Democratic Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon as an attempt to respond to the rioting and violence in the area following the shooting of black 18-year-old Michael Brown on Aug. 9. The panel consists of sixteen committee members tasked with addressing concerns like unemployment and struggling schools that have gained attention in the wake of the unrest. The commission will issue a report of its findings by September of next year, meeting frequently over that time. The second meeting is scheduled for next Monday.


