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Ferguson Police May Face Racial Discrimination Lawsuit From Justice Department

ferguson police protests

The Justice Department is preparing to file a lawsuit against the Ferguson, Missouri police department over a pattern of racial discrimination if the department does not agree to make changes, according to sources.

This week, Attorney General Eric Holder said he will announce the results of the Justice Department’s investigation into the shooting death of Michael Brown and a larger probe of the Ferguson Police Department before he leaves office, according to CNN.

[quote text_size=”small” author=”– Eric Holder” author_title=”Attorney General”]

I think everybody will see when we announce our results that the process that we have engaged in is, as I said back at the time when I went to Ferguson, independent, thorough and based on all the facts. And I am confident that people will be satisfied with the results that will be announced.

[/quote]

Brown’s fatal shooting by Officer Darren Wilson put Ferguson in the middle of a nationwide debate over race relations and police tactics. The shooting led to months of protests that sometimes turned violent.

Last year, a St. Louis County grand jury decided not to prosecute Wilson, who has left the police department.

Experts expect the Justice Department to announce it will not charge Wilson in the shooting, but it will outline findings alleging a pattern of discriminatory tactics used by the police department, the Huffington Post reported.

According to sources, the Justice Department will sue the department to force changes if it does not agree to review and make changes.

The lawsuit is expected to address allegations in a recent lawsuit filed by low-income people who claim Ferguson police officers targeted minorities with minor traffic infractions and jailed them when they were unable to pay the fines.

Ferguson police are now evaluating a new attachment to their firearms that may give a suspect the chance to live in an otherwise lethal situation with police. Called “The Alternative,” the attachment is an orange-colored plastic device that is mounted onto the gun barrel that turns the first fired bullet into a ping-pong ball-sized projectile that is designed not to kill, CNN reported.

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