Justice Department Will Announce Civil Rights Probe into Ferguson Police Department
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iStock/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) — The Justice Department is planning to announce a broad civil rights investigation into the enforcement practices of the Ferguson, Missouri, police department in the wake of the fatal shooting of Michael Brown, law enforcement sources told ABC News.
Sources familiar with the planned probe said it will examine stops and arrests by the department to determine if there has been a pattern and practice of discriminating against minorities. The announcement is planned for Thursday.
The investigation will also examine past allegations of excessive force to determine if there has been routine abuse. This broad investigation will run parallel to the specific probe of Brown’s death.
Brown, 18, was killed when a police officer in his hometown of Ferguson shot him six times after a scuffle in the street on Aug. 9, setting off two weeks of protests, looting, and clashes with cops.
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