Hillary Clinton Breaks Silence On Ferguson

Hillary Clinton has broken her silence on Ferguson.

Speaking at a technology conference in San Francisco Thursday morning, Clinton addressed the death of Michael Brown, nearly three weeks after the unarmed teenager was shot to death by police officer Darren Wilson in the St. Louis, Missouri, suburb.

"This summer, the eyes of our country and indeed of the world have been focused on one community in the middle of the American heartland: Ferguson, Missouri," Clinton said. "Watching the recent funeral for Michael Brown, as a mother, as a human being, my heart just broke for his family because losing a child is every parent's greatest fear and an unimaginable loss."

"Behind the dramatic, terrible pictures on television, there are deep challenges that will be with them and with us long after the cameras move on," she said. "This is what happens when the bonds of trust and respect that hold any community together fray."

Watch some of Clinton's remarks above.

Clinton also spoke out on the increased militarization of local police forces, calling on cops to "serve and protect their communities with courage and professionalism."

"Nobody wants to see our streets look like a war zone, not in America," Clinton said. "We are better than that."

"We cannot ignore the inequities that persist in our justice system," Clinton continued. "Inequities that undermine our most deeply held values of fairness and equality."

Clinton applauded President Barack Obama for sending Attorney General Eric Holder to Ferguson to "see that justice is done, to help this community begin healing itself."

Until Thursday's remarks, the former secretary of state and potential 2016 presidential candidate had yet to acknowledge the protests in Ferguson. The Rev. Al Sharpton, who spoke at Brown's funeral on Monday, called out Clinton on her silence last week.

"This is now a national, central issue, and anyone running for president needs to come up with a formula, or, in my opinion, they forfeit their right to be taken seriously," he said. "I'm amazed that we're not hearing from leading candidates ... Chris Christie or Jeb Bush or Hillary Clinton. I land in New York this morning, and I see Chris Christie dancing with Jamie Foxx."

(h/t San Francisco Chronicle's Carla Marinucci and CNN's Dan Merica.)

This story has been updated to include more of Clinton's remarks.