Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon (D) said Thursday that the identity of the Ferguson police officer who shot an unarmed African-American teen should be released “as expeditiously as possible.”
Nixon added that he did not know the name of the officer who shot Michael Brown on Saturday, sparking the confrontations between protesters and police that have captured the nation’s attention.
Police have so far refused to release the name, citing threats against the officer.
“I would hope that the appropriate release of that name with the security around it if necessary to make sure that there’s not additional acts of violence be done as expeditiously as possible,” Nixon said.
He added that he was “not sure” that a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union to force the release of the police report of the shooting was the best way to make that information public.
“I think it would be an important milestone here to get that out as expeditiously as possible,” Nixon said.
