Attorney General Eric Holder on Monday criticized the way information regarding Michael Brown's death has been released, but he asked for patience as the Department of Justice conducts its own civil rights investigation into the death of Michael Brown.
'The selective release of sensitive information that we have seen in this case so far is troubling to me,' Holder said in a statement. 'No matter how others pursue their own separate inquiries, the Justice Department is resolved to preserve the integrity of its investigation.'
Holder's criticism came as new details emerged Monday regarding two other inquiries into Brown's death, part of a slow trickle of information in the days since Brown was killed. Attorneys for Brown's family released information from an autopsy they had conducted, which they said showed that he was trying to surrender when he was killed. Meanwhile, a source close to the St. Louis County investigation into the shooting told The Post that Brown had between six and eight bullet wounds and was shot from the front.
This, in turn, followed a slow trickle of information that has emerged since Brown, an unarmed 18-year-old, was shot and killed by Office Darren Wilson on Aug. 9. It took the police nearly a week to identify the officer involved, despite repeated calls for his name.
And when the Ferguson police did finally identify Wilson, they pivoted quickly to discussing a robbery that had occurred the morning Brown was shot and released a police report identifying Brown as a suspect. A few hours later, the Ferguson police came out and said that the encounter between Brown and Wilson had nothing to do with a robbery, only for the police chief to pivot yet again later in the day and say that Wilson had seen stolen cigars in Brown's hand and thought he might be the robber.
Meanwhile, more than a week after Brown's death, officials in the county have still repeatedly declined to publicly say how many times Brown was shot or where on his body he was struck.
Holder, who plans to visit Ferguson on Wednesday, said that more than 40 FBI agents continued to canvas the Ferguson neighborhood where Brown was killed and conducted several new interviews.
In addition, Holder said that a medical examiner from the U.S. military would conduct an autopsy on Monday at his direction. 'I am confident this additional autopsy will be thorough and aid in our investigation,' he said.
Holder also criticized those who had looted on the streets of Ferguson, saying that he would be sending federal officials to help try and maintain the peace in that tension-riven city. He has previously criticized the police response in Ferguson and said he was 'deeply concerned' about the use of military equipment.
Post By http://ift.tt/1oVeHwW