Attorney General Eric Holder told residents of Ferguson, Missouri — the scene of heated protests since the death of an unarmed teen — that he understands their mistrust of law enforcement, saying as a black man, he too has been confronted by police. "The same kid who got stopped on the New Jersey freeway is now the attorney general of the United States," he added. Text Size - 
 
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 reset Holder spoke to Brown family 'as a father' Holder meets Police Chief Ron Johnson 
 
 Holder recounted to the group of 50 how he was stopped in New Jersey twice, accused of speeding as officers searched his car. "I remember how humiliating that was and how angry I was and the impact it had on me," Holder said during a meeting with about 50 community leaders at the Florissant campus of St. Louis Community College. (Also on POLITICO: Why Obama can’t go there) 
 
 Holder also recalled how he and his cousin were stopped in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C., while heading to a movie, and his cousin started “mouthing off.” 
 
 “I’m like, ‘This is not where we want to go. We negotiate the whole thing and we walk to our movie,” the attorney general said. “At the time that he stopped me, I was a federal prosecutor. I wasn't a kid," he said. A spokesman for St. Louis County Prosecutor Bob McCulloch said there was no timeline for the process, but it could take weeks. So I’ve confronted this myself.” 
 
 Of the events in Ferguson, Holder said there is a history to it, adding that the “history simmers beneath the surface in more communities than just Ferguson.” 
 
 The town has been rocked by tensions and unrest for nearly two weeks following the death of 18-year-old Michael Brown, who was shot Aug. 9 by Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson. Holder also met with federal officials investigating Brown's Aug. 9 death and with Brown's parents. We need concrete action to change things in this country,” Holder said, pointing to the federal inquiry. During his time in Ferguson, Holder did not hold a news conference. Before getting briefed at the local FBI headquarters, he said he hoped the visit would "have a calming influence" on the area. Ron Johnson of the Missouri State Highway Patrol at Drake's Place Restaurant, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2014, in Ferguson, Mo. Asked whether he had confidence in the local investigation of the police officer, Johnson said Holder's presence "is a guarantee on that." Holder said the Obama administration has been working to achieve change through the Justice Department's civil rights division. Jay Nixon announced the Missouri Highway Patrol would take over security in Ferguson, led by Johnson. However, by Monday, Nixon announced a state of emergency, bringing in the National Guard after earlier imposing a temporary curfew.
– In his visit to Ferguson, Mo., yesterday, Eric Holder told residents that he understands their frustration about police. "I am the attorney general of the United States," he said. "But I am also a black man,” Holder recounted being stopped by police on a Washington street while he and his cousin ran to catch a movie, reports Politico. "I was a federal prosecutor," he said. "I wasn't a kid." He also recalled being pulled over twice in New Jersey and accused of speeding as cops searched his car, reports Fox News. "I remember how humiliating that was and how angry I was," he told the crowd, and later in the day said, "We can make it better." While he praised the "good dialogue" going on about race relations, he added that "dialogue is not enough. We need concrete action to change things in this country." Holder also met with Michael Brown's parents for about 20 minutes and promised a "fair and independent" investigation. Meanwhile, Missouri Highway Patrol Capt. Ron Johnson said last night was "a very good night" in Ferguson, with just six arrests, reports the AP.