(HuffingtonPost – By Julia Edwards) – U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said on Friday the Justice Department would use its full authority to demand police reforms in Ferguson, Missouri, including possibly going so far as dismantling the department accused of racial bias.
“We are prepared to use all the power that we have … to ensure that the situation changes there,” Holder told reporters.
Asked if that included dismantling the Ferguson Police Department, Holder said, “If that’s what’s necessary, we’re prepared to do that.”
Civil rights lawyers have previously said the county could absorb the functions of the Ferguson Police Department.
The Justice Department issued a report this week that found that police in Ferguson overwhelmingly arrested and issued traffic citations to black residents, creating a “toxic” environment with its policing practices.
That culture of distrust erupted in August, when white Ferguson Officer Darren Wilson fatally shot 18-year-old Michael Brown, who was black and unarmed. The incident triggered months of protest and a national debate about race and police behavior. Read Full Huffington Post
