Holder says he understands mistrust of police
|
| Attorney
General Eric Holder talks with Capt. Ron Johnson of the Missouri State
Highway Patrol at Drake's Place Restaurant, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2014, in
Florrissant, Mo. Holder arrived in Missouri on Wednesday, as a small
group of protesters gathered outside the building where a grand jury
could begin hearing evidence to determine whether a Ferguson police
officer who shot 18-year-old Michael Brown should be charged in his
death. |
ST. LOUIS
(AP) -- Attorney General Eric Holder sought Wednesday to reassure the
people of Ferguson about the investigation into Michael Brown's death
and said he understands why many black Americans do not trust police,
recalling how he was repeatedly stopped by officers who seemed to target
him because of his race.
Holder made the
remarks during a visit to the St. Louis suburb that has endured more
than a week of unrest fueled by the fatal shooting of the black
18-year-old by a white officer. The Obama administration intended the
trip to underscore its commitment to civil rights in general and the
Ferguson case in particular.
The attorney
general described how he was stopped twice on the New Jersey Turnpike
and accused of speeding. Police searched his car, going through the
trunk and looking under the seats.
"I remember
how humiliating that was and how angry I was and the impact it had on
me," Holder said during a meeting with about 50 community leaders at the
Florissant campus of St. Louis Community College.
Holder also met with federal officials investigating Michael Brown's Aug. 9 death and with Brown's parents.
While
living in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, Holder was once
running to catch a movie with his cousin when a squad car rolled up and
flashed its lights at the pair. The officer yelled, "Where are you
going? Hold it!" Holder recalled.
His cousin "started mouthing off," and Holder urged him to be quiet.
"We
negotiate the whole thing, and we walk to our movie. At the time that
he stopped me, I was a federal prosecutor. I wasn't a kid," he said.
Holder
also met briefly with Missouri State Highway Patrol Capt. Ron Johnson,
who has been in charge of security in the community for nearly a week.
The National Guard has also been called in to help keep the peace.
Asked
whether he had confidence in the local investigation of the police
officer, Johnson said Holder's presence "is a guarantee on that."
In
nearby Clayton, a grand jury began hearing evidence to determine
whether the officer, Darren Wilson, should be charged in Brown's death. A
spokesman for St. Louis County Prosecutor Bob McCulloch said there was
no timeline for the process, but it could take weeks.
At
the college, Holder told his audience that the most experienced agents
and prosecutors would be assigned to the Ferguson investigation.
Outside
the St. Louis County Justice Center in Clayton, where the grand jury
convened, two dozen protesters gathered in a circle for a prayer,
chanted and held signs urging McCulloch to step aside.
McCulloch's
deep family connections to police have been cited by some black leaders
who question his ability to be impartial in the case. McCulloch's
father, mother, brother, uncle and cousin all worked for the St. Louis
Police Department, and his father was killed while responding to a call
involving a black suspect.
The prosecutor, who
is white, has insisted his background will have no bearing on the
handling of the Brown case, which has touched off days of nighttime
protests during which authorities used tear gas and rubber bullets to
clear the streets.
The protests were more
subdued Tuesday night, with smaller crowds, fewer confrontations and no
tear gas. Police said they still made 47 arrests, mainly of people who
defied orders to disperse. Tensions rose briefly when someone hurled a
bottle at officers, but there were no reports of gunfire or the type of
clashes that had marked previous nights.
On
Wednesday, police said an officer had been suspended for pointing a
semi-automatic assault rifle at demonstrators, then cursing and
threatening to kill one of them. A protester captured the exchange on
video Tuesday and posted it to YouTube and other websites.
In
a letter published in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Holder promised a
thorough investigation while calling for an end to the violence in
Ferguson. He said the bond of trust between law enforcement and the
public is "all-important" but also "fragile."
Arrest
patterns "must not lead to disparate treatment under the law, even if
such treatment is unintended. And police forces should reflect the
diversity of the communities they serve," Holder wrote.
The
Justice Department has mounted an unusually swift and aggressive
response to Brown's death, conducting an independent autopsy and sending
dozens of FBI agents to Ferguson in search of witnesses to the
shooting.
Meanwhile, Brown's funeral
arrangements were set. The Austin A. Layne Mortuary, which is handling
arrangements, said the funeral will be Monday at Friendly Temple
Missionary Baptist Church in St. Louis. Brown's uncle, the Rev. Charles
Ewing, will deliver the eulogy. The Rev. Al Sharpton will also speak.
Brown will be buried at St. Peter's Cemetery in St. Louis County.
Holder said the Obama administration has been trying to achieve change through the Justice Department's civil rights division.
"The
same kid who got stopped on the New Jersey freeway is now the attorney
general of the United States," he added. "This country is capable of
change. But change doesn't happen by itself."
ST. LOUIS
(AP) -- Attorney General Eric Holder sought Wednesday to reassure the
people of Ferguson about the investigation into Michael Brown's death
and said he understands why many black Americans do not trust police,
recalling how he was repeatedly stopped by officers who seemed to target
him because of his race.
Holder made the
remarks during a visit to the St. Louis suburb that has endured more
than a week of unrest fueled by the fatal shooting of the black
18-year-old by a white officer. The Obama administration intended the
trip to underscore its commitment to civil rights in general and the
Ferguson case in particular.
The attorney
general described how he was stopped twice on the New Jersey Turnpike
and accused of speeding. Police searched his car, going through the
trunk and looking under the seats.
"I remember
how humiliating that was and how angry I was and the impact it had on
me," Holder said during a meeting with about 50 community leaders at the
Florissant campus of St. Louis Community College.
Holder also met with federal officials investigating Michael Brown's Aug. 9 death and with Brown's parents.
While
living in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, Holder was once
running to catch a movie with his cousin when a squad car rolled up and
flashed its lights at the pair. The officer yelled, "Where are you
going? Hold it!" Holder recalled.
His cousin "started mouthing off," and Holder urged him to be quiet.
"We
negotiate the whole thing, and we walk to our movie. At the time that
he stopped me, I was a federal prosecutor. I wasn't a kid," he said.
Holder
also met briefly with Missouri State Highway Patrol Capt. Ron Johnson,
who has been in charge of security in the community for nearly a week.
The National Guard has also been called in to help keep the peace.
Asked
whether he had confidence in the local investigation of the police
officer, Johnson said Holder's presence "is a guarantee on that."
In
nearby Clayton, a grand jury began hearing evidence to determine
whether the officer, Darren Wilson, should be charged in Brown's death. A
spokesman for St. Louis County Prosecutor Bob McCulloch said there was
no timeline for the process, but it could take weeks.
At
the college, Holder told his audience that the most experienced agents
and prosecutors would be assigned to the Ferguson investigation.
Outside
the St. Louis County Justice Center in Clayton, where the grand jury
convened, two dozen protesters gathered in a circle for a prayer,
chanted and held signs urging McCulloch to step aside.
McCulloch's
deep family connections to police have been cited by some black leaders
who question his ability to be impartial in the case. McCulloch's
father, mother, brother, uncle and cousin all worked for the St. Louis
Police Department, and his father was killed while responding to a call
involving a black suspect.
The prosecutor, who
is white, has insisted his background will have no bearing on the
handling of the Brown case, which has touched off days of nighttime
protests during which authorities used tear gas and rubber bullets to
clear the streets.
The protests were more
subdued Tuesday night, with smaller crowds, fewer confrontations and no
tear gas. Police said they still made 47 arrests, mainly of people who
defied orders to disperse. Tensions rose briefly when someone hurled a
bottle at officers, but there were no reports of gunfire or the type of
clashes that had marked previous nights.
On
Wednesday, police said an officer had been suspended for pointing a
semi-automatic assault rifle at demonstrators, then cursing and
threatening to kill one of them. A protester captured the exchange on
video Tuesday and posted it to YouTube and other websites.
In
a letter published in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Holder promised a
thorough investigation while calling for an end to the violence in
Ferguson. He said the bond of trust between law enforcement and the
public is "all-important" but also "fragile."
Arrest
patterns "must not lead to disparate treatment under the law, even if
such treatment is unintended. And police forces should reflect the
diversity of the communities they serve," Holder wrote.
The
Justice Department has mounted an unusually swift and aggressive
response to Brown's death, conducting an independent autopsy and sending
dozens of FBI agents to Ferguson in search of witnesses to the
shooting.
Meanwhile, Brown's funeral
arrangements were set. The Austin A. Layne Mortuary, which is handling
arrangements, said the funeral will be Monday at Friendly Temple
Missionary Baptist Church in St. Louis. Brown's uncle, the Rev. Charles
Ewing, will deliver the eulogy. The Rev. Al Sharpton will also speak.
Brown will be buried at St. Peter's Cemetery in St. Louis County.
Holder said the Obama administration has been trying to achieve change through the Justice Department's civil rights division.
"The
same kid who got stopped on the New Jersey freeway is now the attorney
general of the United States," he added. "This country is capable of
change. But change doesn't happen by itself."
