Ferguson Riots Update: Hackers Attack Police Reveal Name of Cop, Obama Comments, Police Kicked Out of Ferguson

Following the fourth straight night of violence in Ferguson, Missouri, police have been asked to cease their operations and were kicked out of Ferguson. They will be replaced by other state authorities it was announced on Thursday. A hacker from the group Anonymous released the social security number information of the city's police chief, as well as the name of the officer involved in the shooting that sparked the violence.

Since the name of the officer who killed a local teen remains a secret, riots have continued into Wednesday night. Much of last night's violence was caught on video, as well as incidents from previous nights. But last night, media organizations were also targeted and reporters were arrested.

President Barack Obama addressed the situation in Missouri during a press briefing today. He said that the Department of Justice and the FBI were investigating any possible civil rights abuses when Michael Brown was killed. Obama called on the police to be open and transparent about how they are investigating the death. He also said he spoke to Missouri Gov. Jay NIxon. Obama called for a time of healing.

"Of course, it’s important to remember how this started. We lost a young man, Michael Brown, in heartbreaking and tragic circumstances," the president said in his statement. Obama also said that police should not be using excessive force. "And here in the United States of America, police should not be bullying or arresting journalists who are just trying to do their jobs and report to the American people on what they see on the ground," he said.

Later, the state's governor, Nixon, announced that state troopers would be replacing the Ferguson police department to enforce security in town. Nixon said it was not acceptable that the streets of Ferguson looked like a war zone. Nixon also said that the name of the police officer who killed Brown should be released as soon as possible.

"I would hope that the appropriate release of that name, with the security around it if necessary ... be done as expeditiously as possible," Nixon said. 

An alleged cyber attack on police department's computers led to the disclosure of a name on social media, but police said that the name wasn't the officer's who is being investigated in the shooting. The police department has also had to deal with a steady stream of death threats.

"The Ferguson PD actually tweeted at us saying that this is not the officer responsible for the murder," a hacker named Pharoah told the Washington Post. "But they could be lying." 

The internet group Anonymous has been threatening to out the police officer who shot Brown. A Twitter account belonging to the group threatened to release information about the police chief's daughter and other details, if the name of the shooter wasn't realeased.

Two journalists, one from the Washington Post, Wesley Lowery, and another from The Huffington Post were arrested last night while resting inside a local McDonald's restaurant. Television crews were also shot at.

"Police in Ferguson, Mo., hit two television news crews Aug. 13 — one with a bean-bag round fired from an air rifle and the other with a tear gas canister. Officers separately arrested two other reporters as they worked from a restaurant in the area," reported the website TVNewsCheck.