Ferguson Police Release Statement Telling Protesters Not to Assemble After Sundown

For those of us watching the events unfolding in Ferguson, Missouri, in response to the police shooting of unarmed teenager Michael Brown there this weekend, the Ferguson Police Department has finally issued a public statement this morning, their first since the shooting occurred on Saturday, it appears.

In the statement, which a St. Louis television reporter tweeted here, the FPD says "the City of Ferguson mourns the loss of Michael Brown's life" and that the department has "heard the community's cries for justice" and is cooperating with investigations into the shooting by county police, the FBI, and the Justice Department. Then they go on to instruct the city's residents to only gather and protest during daylight hours.

From the official statement:

We ask that any groups wishing to assemble in prayer or in protest do so only during daylight hours in an organized and respectful manner. We further ask all those wishing to demonstrate or assemble to disperse well before the evening hours to ensure the safety of the participants and the safety of our community. Unfortunately, those who wish to co-opt peaceful protests and turn them into violent demonstrations have been able to do so over the past several days during the evening hours. These events are not indicative of the City of Ferguson and its residents.

They still refuse to identify the officer who shot Brown, citing fears for the officer's safety.