Rep. Lacy Clay (D-MO), who represents Ferguson, Mo., on Saturday said that he doesn’t trust the Ferguson police to conduct a fair investigation into the death of Michael Brown, the black teen who was shot by a police officer.
“I have absolutely no confidence in the Ferguson police, the county prosecutor,” Clay told CREDO’s Ferguson Justice Live. “We know we won’t get a fair shake there.”
The congressman slammed the local police for releasing a video that allegedly shows Brown robbing a convenience store.
“That’s why they did what they did today, was to negatively influence a jury pool in St. Louis County,” Clay said. “Just to assassinate Michael Brown’s character is wrong. He was already assassinated, so now you’re going to assassinate his character? What kind of human being are you? That’s the kind of question I have to ask.”
Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon (D) also criticized the Ferguson police for releasing the video, which he called “an attempt to attack his character.”
But Nixon defended County Prosecutor Robert McCulloch and his ability to investigate Brown’s case, despite concerns that McCulloch won’t be objective.
“Well, he’s a seasoned prosecutor that has an opportunity to step up here and do his job,” Nixon said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “And also though, when you see a dual investigation going on, and the resources of the Justice Department, an F.B.I. agents out working in the community yet again yesterday, 40 additional officers, I think that having those dual investigations will help guarantee that this gets done in a timely fashion. That it’s done thoroughly, and that it gets justice.”
Clay told CREDO that he’s been talking to President Obama, Attorney General Eric Holder and members of Congress about the need to make sure the investigation is transparent.
He added that the death of Michael Brown and the situation in Ferguson was “personal.”
“I’m raising a 13-year-old son in this community and he nor anyone else should have to live under a double standard with the law. We have to change the policing in this community,” he said.
He also spoke on CNN’s “State of the Union” Sunday morning, calling for a better relationship between the police and African-Americans.
He said that police forces aren’t diverse and lack a “healthy relationship with the African-American community that they are supposed to police.”
“We have to have a national conversation about how police forces should interact with the African-American community,” he said.
Watch Clay’s interview with CREDO:
H/t Huffington Post
This is excellent! Shine a continuous spotlight on Ferguson. Turn up the heat on its elected officials to allow their PD to be replaced in this investigation. Put the county prosecutor on notice that his own case is compromised by the Ferguson PD evidence.
I remember the Rodney King fiasco; I’ve been beyond shock for a long time.
Sure, needed to be said.
The fact that it took you this long to figure it out is disturbing tho. This is apparently not new behavior by the police mob, err department there.
The only thing that will calm things down in Ferguson will be replacing the police chief with somebody trustworthy. I don’t know anything about the St. Louis County prosecutor, but if the locals feel any doubt about his integrity, he should be removed from the case–that is if the state of Missouri has any interest in reestablishing peace and order in Ferguson.
Hmm…Then why did you and most of the Dems vote against Alan Grayson’s attempt to cut military weapons going to cops ? Did leadership explain to you we can’t upset the defense contractors and police unions ? http://tinyurl.com/pqyyzv4