National Urban League President Marc H. Morial today issued the following statement responding to recent developments in Ferguson, MO.

The death of Michael Brown has exposed and exacerbated what is clearly a long-standing lack of trust between law enforcement and the Ferguson community.

St. Louis County is not a war zone, and siege and combat tactics are no substitute for good community policing, and we commend Governor Jay Nixon for his decision to bring in the State Highway Patrol, led by Captain Ronald Johnson to secure the community and protect the constitutional right to peaceful protest.

We believe state and local elected officials—including law enforcement officials—should take this opportunity to engage directly with citizens and community-based organization on the underlying issues that led to this tragedy and begin the healing process. We look forward to supporting the work of the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis and its President and CEO Michael McMillan to foster this important dialogue.

Due process of our laws does not allow for the shooting of an unarmed individual, and the family of Michael Brown and the citizens of Ferguson deserve no less than a thorough examination of all the facts surrounding this tragic case and the police response. We fully support the calls for Attorney General Eric Holder and the Department of Justice to take over this investigation to its conclusion and ensure the integrity and transparency the citizens expect.