Saint Louis, Mo. — United State Attorney General Eric Holder arrived in North St. Louis County today as unrest in Ferguson appears far from over and St. Louis officials convene a grand jury in the investigation of Officer Darren Wilson’s shooting and killing of 18-year-old unarmed Michael Brown.
Holder met with Capt. Ron Johnson of the Highway Patrol and will meet with several Missouri leaders, including Gov. Jay Nixon and St. Louis County prosecutor, Bob McCulloch. Holder has also directed the Civil Rights division of the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate whether Brown’s civil rights were violated and has also ordered federal authorities to perform a 3rd independent examination of Brown’s body.
Holder said in a statement that the public would need to be patient while evidence was gathered, but also jabbed the Ferguson Police Department for “selective” release of information. On the day Ferguson Police released the name of Wilson (days after the shooting) they also released video tape of Brown allegedly robbing a nearby store of a box of Swisher Sweet cigars.
Ferguson Police confirmed Wilson did not know Brown was a suspect in the robbery when he stopped Brown for walking in the middle of a residential street, leading many to suggest that the video footage was released in an attempt to assassinate Brown’s character ahead of a possible trial.
“I ask for the public’s patience as we conduct this investigation,” Holder said in a statement. “The selective release of sensitive information that we have seen in this case so far is troubling to me.”
He also said in a statement that more than 40 FBI agents would remain on the ground, questioning witnesses and assisting in the concurrent FBI investigation.
McCulloch drew support from Nixon yesterday, who announced he had no intentions to pressure the prosecutor to recuse himself from the case, despite some growing sentiment in the area that he do just that.
“I am not asking St. Louis County Prosecutor Bob McCulloch to recuse himself from this case,” Nixon said in a statement. “There is a well-established process by which a prosecutor can recuse themselves from a pending investigation, and a special prosecutor be appointed. Departing from this established process could unnecessarily inject legal uncertainty into this matter and potentially jeopardize the prosecution.”
Leading the charge against McCulloch is State Senator Jamilah Nasheed, who specifically cited the murder of McCulloch’s father as a reason she did not trust him to deliver an impartial verdict. McCulloch’s father was a police officer who was shot and killed by a black man. Nasheed started an online petition, which now has more than 50,000 signatures asking McCulloch to step down. Nasheed told The Missouri Times earlier this week that north county residents don’t trust McCulloch, and see his investigation as a mechanism to find Wilson innocent. McCulloch, a Democrat, also has no general election opponent in November.
Amid the growing political quagmire that is Ferguson is at least some friction among Missouri Republicans.
Missouri Republican Party Executive Director Matt Wills was quoted blasting Democrat efforts to register voters in Ferguson in light of the shooting.
“If that’s not fanning the political flames, I don’t know what is,” Wills said. ““I think it’s not only disgusting but completely inappropriate.”
But not everyone in Wills party agreed. State Senator Ryan Silvey of Kansas City tweeted his disapproval.
“I have NO problem w/ protestors, or ANYONE, getting registered to vote. How do we keep our gov’t accountable if not by ballot?,” he said on Twitter. “‘[O]utrage’ over voter registration in #Ferguson is dumb. I’d rather they vote than riot.”
Mark Siettmann, Chief of Staff to Republican State Senator Will Kraus, said his boss supported registering of voters “in any circumstance.” State Auditor Tom Schweich, widely expected to be a gubernatorial candidate in 2016, also voiced disagreement.
County officials say a grand jury could reach a decision on whether or not to file charges against Wilson before the end of the week, but note that nothing is certain.
The growing clashes in Ferguson — which have now drawn international media attention and sparked solidarity protests in Europe and Russia — will prove a tough test for the state’s elected leaders.
Collin Reischman was the Managing Editor for The Missouri Times, and a graduate of Webster University with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism.
