National Guard sent to Ferguson, Michael Brown autopsy shows he was shot six times

As the situation in Ferguson, Missouri continues to deteriorate, Gov. Jay Nixon has ordered the National Guard to the St. Louis suburb. Meanwhile, an initial autopsy of Michael Brown, the unarmed teen whose death sparked the protests, shows that the 18-year-old was shot six times.

Early this morning, Nixon signed an executive order, sening the Missouri National Guard to the city, in an effort to protect the citizens there and restore peace. The statement came following another night of violence that included protesters shooting at police, notes USA Today. Police also fired tear gas at protesters hours before another midnight curfew began Sunday night.

“Tonight, a day of hope, prayers, and peaceful protests was marred by the violent criminal acts of an organized and growing number of individuals, many from outside the community and state, whose actions are putting the residents and businesses of Ferguson at risk,” Nixon said in a statement. “I join the people of Ferguson, and all Missourians, in strongly condemning this criminal activity that included firing upon law enforcement officers, shooting a civilian, throwing Molotov cocktails, looting, and a coordinated attempt to block roads and overrun the Unified Command Center.”

He later called the acts of violence a “disservice” to Brown’s family. Thanks to the “deliberate, coordinated and intensifying violent attacks on lives and property in Ferguson I am directing the highly capable men and women of the Missouri National Guard to assist Colonel Ron Replogle and the Unified Command in restoring peace and order to this community,” Nixon concluded.

Meanwhile, Brown’s family requested a new autopsy, which was conducted by Dr. Michael M. Baden, the New York Times reports. This is the second one completed, following one by local examiners. Attorney Gen. Eric Holder also said that the federal Justice Department will conduct its own autopsy.

Baden’s autopsy found that Brown was shot at least six times by the police officer, who was identified as Darren Wilson. The initial results show that he was not shot at close range because there was no gun powder on Brown’s body. However, Baden didn’t have access to Brown’s clothing, which could have had gun powder on them.

Brown was unarmed when he was shot to death by Wilson last weekend. Ferguson protesters have been particularly critical of police, who did not announce how many times Brown was shot. Their decision to release a convenience store surveillance tape that appears to implicate Brown in a robbery hours before he was killed has also been questioned.

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