Ferguson police to be investigated after shooting of Michael Brown

[malaise]

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/04/ferguson-police-practices-investigated-michael-brown-justice-department
<snip>
The US justice department may open a wide-ranging investigation into the practices of the Fergusonpolice department as early as Thursday following the shooting last month of an unarmed black 18-year-old by a white police officer in the St Louis suburb.

A person briefed on the matter said Missouri officials were notified about the inquiry on Wednesday.

The investigation will look at the practices in the past few years of the police department, including patterns of stops, arrests and the use of force, as well as the training officers receive, the person said.

The inquiry is separate from an ongoing civil rights investigation the justice department is conducting into the shooting of Michael Brown by Darren Wilson on 9 August. A local grand jury is also investigating the shooting, which set off about two weeks of unrest in the streets of Ferguson and became a flashpoint in the national discussion of police treatment of minorities across the country.

------------------------
Great news

[gollygee]

1. And that's why people protest

Good job to the protestors in Ferguson who protested and kept up with it despite being mistreated! There's no way to remain silent AND get justice in this country, and without their protests, this would have been another police shooting and only MAYBE a quiet investigation within the police department. (Why that's ever allowed when there is such an obvious conflict of interest is beyond me.)

Unfortunately, this is only one police department, and I think the discussion needs to be on racism and the criminal justice system in general, not just on this specific police department, and I don't know if that's going to happen. Mabye, depending on what issues the investigation turns up.

[malaise]

2. Great post

Silence is consent

[1StrongBlackMan]

14. I think that this is the first step ...

Unfortunately, this is only one police department, and I think the discussion needs to be on racism and the criminal justice system in general, not just on this specific police department, and I don't know if that's going to happen.

In making that happen. The DoJ has a clear, and obvious, case for looking not only at the FPD, but the entire Ferguson "justice" administration ... and for once, in a very long time, the media (with its reporting on the Ferguson court's targeting Black folks for it fund-raising events and its practices, has provided useful evidence of race-based malfeasance.

If the DoJ does, and goes no further than Ferguson, we will see other jurisdictions reforming themselves. Cops, Judges, and Prosecutors, more so than ... say ... Bankers (or corporate-types, have a great "fear" of going to prison. They know that going to prison, not only means the end of their professional end as they know it ... they know, prison is a much more dangerous place for them.

[sarge43]

3. Good. About freakin' time.

Also RICO charges should be considered. The bench appearance scam may be nickel and dime, but it stinks of racketeering.

[avebury]

4. NBC's Pete Williams was saying last night that there

would also be a side investigation of the County PD as well.

[Romulox]

5. I thought they were there to investigate the Brown shooting. It looks like that investigation

hasn't been fruitful.

[gollygee]

6. Huh?

Investigations can take a while. Why do you assume, so soon, that it hasn't been fruitful. Maybe it's been so fruitful they had to expand the investigation to include the whole department.

[Romulox]

7. It's just odd that they broadened the investigation without any progress on the main investigation.

It makes it looks like there hasn't been any major developments in the case.

Why do you assume, so soon, that it hasn't been fruitful. Maybe it's been so fruitful they had to expand the investigation to include the whole department.

That's not how the law works. They were there to investigate the shooting of Michael Brown. "The whole department" can't be charged with a crime in that matter.

[gollygee]

11. they are INVESTIGATING the whole department

I never said they were going to charge the whole department with a crime. Maybe when investigating Darren Wilson, they found problems within the whole department they also want to investigate. They don't have to complete one to start the other. They can do them concurrently.

[Romulox]

12. I UNDERSTAND that. That was the basis of my comment. nt

[alcibiades_mystery]

13. From the LA Times article

The new civil rights investigation will be in addition to the federal criminal probe already underway as to whether Officer Darren Wilson, who is white, violated Michael Brown’s civil rights or used excessive force after a confrontation between the men Aug. 9. http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-ferguson-civil-rights-20140903-story.html

Offered without comment.

[1StrongBlackMan]

18. I don't know if that ...

was just not well thought out ... or wishful thinking.

[alcibiades_mystery]

21. Speculative desiring

[1StrongBlackMan]

24. I wish I could disagree; but, patterns are patterns, and ...

the explainer of present conduct (and predictor of future conduct) is past conduct.

[alcibiades_mystery]

25. Indeed

[gollygee]

27. It was that pattern that made me stop and wonder.

A couple of weeks into an investigation and no word must be evidence of it not being fruitful? What world would that be in? One where George Zimmerman had a good reason to shoot Trayvon Martin, I assume.

[1StrongBlackMan]

28. Or, a world where we must "wait for the evidence to come out"; because ...

the word of multiple eye witnesses is suspect and to be questioned; while, the silence of the shooter, is not.

[1StrongBlackMan]

15. More likely the opposite ...

the announcement signals the need for a wider investigation ... in an investigation of the Brown killing, the DoJ can't thoroughly investigate and/or bring indictments for any discovered; but unrelated, crimes they discover.

[Romulox]

17. I was speaking about further evidence in the Brown shooting. nt

[Enrique]

20. they're not shutting down the investigation of the shooting.

This is an additional investigation.

[1StrongBlackMan]

23. And, as I mentioned ...

The announcement of this parallel investigation suggests they believe (found information to suggest) the problem is bigger than the Brown killing, and is endemic to Ferguson PD (and the County) ... evidence that they cannot legitimately investigate under the auspices of the Brown killing investigation.

[Gothmog]

8. This is very appropriate

This police department has some real issues

[alcibiades_mystery]

9. Good...next they should investigate other municipalities that rob poor and minority communities

with biased and racist policing tactics.

Too many municipalities have floated the white middle class and absurdist tax cut schemes by strong armed robbery of their most vulnerable residents. Build a precedent in Ferguson and st. Louis County, then drop the hammer on this systemic racism and police misconduct nationwide.

[malaise]

19. Yes we need to know if the poorest people are subsidizing the 1% and their crooked

politicians, bureaucrats and police.

[Bettie]

10. If his senseless death can be the catalyst for changing long term problems

It will be a good thing.

A better thing would have been if this department could have done this before a young man lost his life.

[1StrongBlackMan]

26. Sadly, most great social change comes after a senseless death. eom

[secondwind]

16. K&R great news

[MineralMan]

22. Excellent! The results should be interesting and informative.

Sadly, they won't come quickly, I'm sure.

[joeybee12]

29. Good...now cue FOX Noise outrage...knr

[msanthrope]

30. I think federal subpoenas and target letters have gone out. nt