Protesters in Ferguson, Missouri, respond to shooting of unarmed teen who witnesses say
was surrendering to police with a "Hands up, Don't shoot!" chant.
The Ferguson, Missouri, police department
has announced that it will not release the name of the officer who shot and killed unarmed 18-year-old Michael Brown Saturday. A spokesman for the FPD said the decision was made because of alleged threats against the officer on social media, including Facebook and Twitter.
The St. Louis County Police, whose officers have been patrolling the streets of Ferguson after peaceful protests were followed by looting and the police use of tear gas and the firing of rubber bullets and wooden blocks Sunday, also announced they would not announce the officer's name:
“We will not ever release the name of the police officer,” said Officer Brian Schellman. “We are investigating the incident, we are investigating the officer, but it is not for us to release the officer’s name. It is a personnel matter. It is up to Ferguson Police.”
The news
doesn't sit well with Benjamin Crump, the attorney for the Brown family. He told Buzzfeed that the decision is
"...unfortunate because people want transparency.”
“They want the confidence that police are going to deal with the situation.”
The FBI, which started its own probe of the slaying Monday, has not said whether it will release the officer's name. But that seems unlikely given standard bureau practice in ongoing investigations.
Meanwhile, several black members of Congress have sent a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder asking that the Department of Justice expand the investigation into the shooting that he announced Monday. Democratic Rep. Marcia Fudge of Ohio, who heads the Congressional Black Caucus, and Democratic Reps. Lacy Clay of Missouri and John Conyers of Michigan wrote that the slaying "may be part of a continuing pattern of the use of deadly force by police against unarmed African-Americans.” Holder said the DOJ's civil rights division is working with FBI agents the U.S. Attorney’s office on the investigation:
“At every step, we will work with the local investigators, who should be prepared to complete a thorough, fair investigation in their own right. I will continue to receive regular updates on this matter in the coming days,” Holder said.
The lawmakers praised Holder’s move, but said DOJ should consider taking over the investigation. They said the St. Louis County Police Department “may not be the most objective or credible body to investigate civil rights matters involving law enforcement given evidence of racial profiling by that department in the recent past.”
No kidding.