US Justice Dept. to launch major probe into Ferguson police

WASHINGTON D.C. 

The U.S. Justice Department announced on Thursday an investigation into the Ferguson Police Department, over the killing of black teen Michael Brown which sparked weeks of protests in the Midwestern city in August. 

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said the probe will also examine "other potentially discriminatory policing techniques and tactics that have been brought to light."

"Our investigation will assess the police department’s use of force, including deadly force; it will analyze stops, searches and arrests; and it will examine the treatment of individuals detained at Ferguson’s city jail," he said. 

A team from the Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section will carry out the investigation, Holder said.

A major grievance during the Ferguson protests was the predominantly black community's mistrust of law enforcement authorities, who staged a heavy response to the protests, equipped in military gear and using teargas to disperse the crowds. 

"I had the chance to speak with a number of local residents. I heard from them directly about the deep mistrust that has taken hold between law enforcement officials and members of that community," he said. "These anecdotal accounts underscore the history of mistrust of law enforcement in Ferguson that has received a good deal of attention."

Holder highlighted that a major concern for residents was a lack of diversity in the Ferguson police force. He said the protests had raised racial tensions and had raised "the need for a conversation in this country about race."

Michael Brown, an unarmed 18 year-old black man, was shot in the head and chest by a white police officer on the street without any direct confrontation.

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