Eric Holder has an op ed in today's St. Louis Post Dispatch: A Message to the People of Ferguson

[CatWoman]

Since the Aug. 9 shooting death of Michael Brown, the nation and the world have witnessed the unrest that has gripped Ferguson, Mo. At the core of these demonstrations is a demand for answers about the circumstances of this young man’s death and a broader concern about the state of our criminal justice system.

At a time when so much may seem uncertain, the people of Ferguson can have confidence that the Justice Department intends to learn — in a fair and thorough manner — exactly what happened.

Today, I will be in Ferguson to be briefed on the federal civil rights investigation that I have closely monitored since I launched it more than one week ago. I will meet personally with community leaders, FBI investigators and federal prosecutors from the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to receive detailed briefings on the status of this case.

The full resources of the Department of Justice have been committed to the investigation into Michael Brown’s death. This inquiry will take time to complete, but we have already taken significant steps. Approximately 40 FBI agents and some of the Civil Rights Division’s most experienced prosecutors have been deployed to lead this process, with the assistance of the United States Attorney in St. Louis. Hundreds of people have already been interviewed in connection with this matter.

http://www.stltoday.com/news/opinion/a-message-to-the-people-of-ferguson/article_ea8b7358-67a3-5187-af8c-169567f27a0d.html

[Little Star]

1. I hope that PD is pissing in their pants.

[bravenak]

2. Good.

I hope he follows through. Someone needs to address these police riots, though. Thugs in blue, rampaging through the streets, arresting any and everybody. They look like a pack of thugs.

[nomorenomore08]

7. +1

[BrotherIvan]

11. + a million

There are crimes being committed every night in Ferguson by the police. It must be stopped NOW.

[Horse with no Name]

3. I am glad he moved his timetable up a day

[CatWoman]

4. that article was posted 1 hour ago

[gordianot]

5. In the course of the Civil Rights Investigation I hope they include good audit of Ferguson PD.

Lots of cash flowing through on citations. It would not be the first PD in MO recently caught pocketing fines or using a quota system.

[SwankyXomb]

6. Won't even be the first one Wilson had worked for to do it.

http://archive.ksdk.com/news/article/248892/147/Jennings-PD-dissolved-County-PD-takes-over

[gordianot]

9. Makes you wonder what the award was for given to Wilson from Ferguson PD?

Filling department quota gone bad.

[Cha]

8. Thank you, AG Holder.. from your link, Cat..

"We understand the need for an independent investigation, and we hope that the independence and thoroughness of our investigation will bring some measure of calm to the tensions in Ferguson. In order to begin the healing process, however, we must first see an end to the acts of violence in the streets of Ferguson. Although these acts have been committed by a very small minority — and, in many cases, by individuals from outside Ferguson — they seriously undermine, rather than advance, the cause of justice. And they interrupt the deeper conversation that the legitimate demonstrators are trying to advance.

The Justice Department will defend the right of protesters to peacefully demonstrate and for the media to cover a story that must be told. But violence cannot be condoned. I urge the citizens of Ferguson who have been peacefully exercising their First Amendment rights to join with law enforcement in condemning the actions of looters, vandals and others seeking to inflame tensions and sow discord."

thanks Cat

[Uncle Joe]

10. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, CatWoman.