The Missouri Highway Patrol have been placed in charge of security in Ferguson by Gov. Jay Nixon in an effort to find a way to stop police and protester clashes.
"Lately it has looked a little more like a war zone--and that's unacceptable," Nixon said on Thursday following comments made earlier in the day that peaceful protests should not have to go up against police in riot gear.
According to the Wall Street Journal, a highway patrol officer, Ron Johnson, who has ties in Ferguson will head up the new security effort. "I don't expect to have what we had last night," Capt. Johnson told protesters on Thursday. "There will be no tear gas tonight."
Peaceful protests over the shooting of unarmed teenager Michael Brown by a police officer last Saturday have been marred by looting as well as overly aggressive police response.
The response has been seen as so militaristic and frightening that even Attorney General Eric Holder commented that the current response "cannot continue."
Earlier in the day, President Barack Obama called for "peace and calm on the streets of Ferguson." He also noted that an open and transparent investigation into Brown's death would be conducted.