WASHINGTON — The Justice Department will not charge former Ferguson, Mo., police officer Darren Wilson, whose fatal shooting of a black teenager prompted waves of protests and a national reexamination of law enforcement’s relationship with minority communities.
Findings of Justice’s inquiry into the incident come six months after 18-year-old Michael Brown was shot by Wilson, who is white.
According to the inquiry, “several witnesses stated that Brown appeared to pose a physical threat to Wilson as he moved toward Wilson.”
“According to these witnesses, who are corroborated by blood evidence in the roadway,” the inquiry states, “as Brown continued to move toward Wilson, Wilson fired at Brown in what appeared to be self defense and stopped firing once Brown fell to the ground.”
The findings, while largely expected, were released Wednesday along with a scathing denouncement of policing in the city. That review found evidence that racial bias was rampant in the department that had long lost the public trust of its African American residents.
Among the most serious findings in the review: In nearly 90% of cases in which Ferguson documented the use of force, those actions were used against African Americans.
The review findings drew strong reaction in Ferguson where some said the report only affirmed their own experiences in the area.
Nathan Burns, 25, who lives four blocks away from Ferguson in an unincorporated city in St. Louis County, said racial bias stretches far past Ferguson and policing. He said racism impacts the lives of blacks in schools, at jobs, and in everyday interactions.
