In a Show of Support for Racist Rioters, Criminal General Eric Holder Visits Ferguson, MO

 


Attorney General Eric Holder is photographed at the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. on March 7, 2014. (Melissa Golden/Redux)
 

Eric Holder arrives in Ferguson as grand jury meets in Michael Brown case
08/20/14 10:03 A.M.
Updated 08/20/14 12:08 P.M.
By Trymaine Lee and Michele Richinick

FERGUSON, Missouri — Attorney General Eric Holder arrived in Ferguson Wednesday morning, on the heels of anight of relative calm between police and protesters 10 days after the fatal shooting of unarmed teen Michael Brown.

Holder was scheduled to receive an on-the-ground briefing on the Justice Department’s civil rights investigation into the circumstances surrounding Brown’s killing, which occurred on Aug. 9. Holder also planned to meet with community leaders, elected officials and federal prosecutors here. Earlier this week, Holder asked Ferguson for “cooperation and patience” as the investigation proceeds.

Also on Wednesday, a grand jury was to begin considering preliminary evidence in the case. Six-year veteran policeman Darren Wilson, who fatally shot Brown, will be given the chance to appear and speak inside the courtroom. He has already been questioned by investigators.

Timeline of a tragedy: The Michael Brown story so far

Another fatal shooting nearby in St. Louis on Tuesday had raised fears that an already tense situation would boil over. The early morning hours Wednesday ended on edge, but without major incident.

Overnight, Capt. Ron Johnson of the Missouri State Highway Patrol said the evening represented a “turning point” for Ferguson. A small group of people protesting the police threw plastic bottles at them, but peacemakers formed a line around the instigators. Officers arrested 47 people, but they refrained from firing bullets and tear gas into the crowd.

Racial tension has been high in Ferguson, a predominantly African-American suburb, since Brown’s death. City leaders on Tuesday said they will create new efforts to help bridge the racial gaps, such as hiring more officers of color to join the local force. Last year, African-Americans accounted for 94% of arrests, 92% of searches, and 86% of vehicular stops. Yet during an interview with msnbc, Ferguson Mayor James Knowles insisted there isn’t a racial divide.

The grand jurors convening Wednesday are expected to meet once each week until the term expires in September. Then, a special grand jury will be impaneled only to hear the Brown case. Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon called for a “vigorous prosecution” in pursuing Brown’s killing.

Johnson, who is now in charge of security in Ferguson, has said it could take months before any action is taken against officer Wilson.

Officials in the town have been heavily criticized for sometimes deploying a heavily-armed force against demonstrators, including children. Violence on Monday night contrasted the more peaceful appearance of demonstrators late Tuesday. A total of 78 people were arrested between Monday and early Tuesday, the majority from Missouri.

“We now have a responsibility to come together and do everything we can to achieve justice for this family, peace for this community, and have the courage to address the problems that have divided us for too long. Real problems of poverty, education, and race,” Nixon said Tuesday in a video address to residents.

An attorney for the Brown family said he believed an independent autopsy report released over the weekend indicated that the teen had been surrendering to police before he was killed. Brown’s funeral is planned for next Monday, Aug. 25.

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