MSNBC "The Ed Show" - Transcript: Ferguson, Missouri

Interview

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

DYSON: These three senior Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee want to hold hearing to examine the handling of the violence that erupted in Ferguson. Congressman Steve Cohen of Tennessee joins me now. Congressman, what response have you gotten so far to your call for a hearing on the violence?

REP. STEVE COHEN, (D) TENNESSEE: Well, we haven`t got any response. We sent our request to the Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte. And I`m not sure if he`s available at the present time, but I hope that we will have a hearing and just -- I think it`s important that we have hearing and determine what the necessity is of military-type equipment being in the hands of local police.

DYSON: Do you see this trending upward that is, this trend toward over policing, is it something that`s getting on a worse trajectory?

COHEN: Well, it appears to and, you know, you never saw these type of display before. Unless you were looking at something in the Ukraine or maybe 20 somewhat years ago at Tiananmen Square and the way the Chinese dealt with the unrest. You don`t see it America, and there`s not a need for armored cars and MK47s and camouflage and all these who (ph) plot that put people on certain state of mind that could have evolved into an even more serious situation than it was already on the scene.

DYSON: Sure.

COHEN: I think the fact that the Missouri officials brought in the National Guard and things have calmed down. The police exacerbated the problem and bringing the force that they brought didn`t suit matters, they worsen the matters.

DYSON: Yes, it was exacerbatory to be sure, Senator Claire McCaskill is saying it`s time to reconsider tactics.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CLAIRE MCCASKILL, (D) MISSOURI: After 9/11, in sometimes in knee jerk fashion, we began equipping police departments with all kind of tools that had not been typical of policing in this country. And maybe it`s time to look at all of that, and make a determination as to how effective is a show of what is military force.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DYSON: Do you agree with Senator McCaskill?

COHEN: Oh I think we have to reexamine it. I mean, I can understand the need possibly if there`s a terrorist threat and if there -- and there could be a terrorist threat with people with high -- cartridge, ammunition and weaponry. Where they might need to respond with some type of -- something like that, although the National Guard will be called out, but not against our own citizens and not against their own citizens when there is civil unrest, civil protest. And even if they got to the point that they did it, when they`re breaking some glass, that`s the reason to come with a amount of force and appearance that was brought by the police in Ferguson.

DYSON: Thursday, Congressman John Lewis called for President Obama to federalize the Missouri National Guard to take control of the streets, what would that kind of action do?

COHEN: Well, I think we -- what the Missouri authorities did was sufficient to calm the situation. I think that would have done it as well, and I think shifting the Ferguson police out with their paramilitary style equipment and bringing in the -- I believe that the government brought in the National Guard or the State Troopers. But who you ever brought and calm the situation it was effectively dealt with by the local authorities.

DYSON: And finally, shouldn`t there be more accountability for police behavior?

COHEN: Oh no question about it, they`re have been killings, particularly of African-American males throughout this country. There was one in New York, fairly unarmed man, a man in Los Angeles, again a fairly unarmed it`s just that the young man wasn`t in Ferguson, Missouri. There`s a pattern, and the pattern is disturbing. And the pattern is one of -- not looking at young African-Americans and African-American males as being, people that should get due process and get respect and get resort to deadly force and not use it on just impulse.

DYSON: Representative Steve Cohen. Thanks for joining us tonight.

COHEN: You`re welcome, Michael.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source