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1st LD: U.S. Attorney General says Ferguson law enforcement officials biased against black communities

Xinhua, March 5, 2015 Adjust font size:

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder on Wednesday said a widespread discrimination against the black communities existed among law enforcement officials in Ferguson, warning that the Department of Justice (DOJ) reserves rights to force immediate change in Ferguson policing and court practice.

Holder said both policing and municipal court practices were found by a DOJ report to "disproportionately harm" African American residents. The DOJ also found local authorities in Ferguson approached law enforcement as a way to "generate revenue" and excessively used unjustified force.

"Seen in this context - amid a highly toxic environment, defined by mistrust and resentment, stoked by years of bad feelings (between local police officers and the public), and spurred by illegal and misguided practices - it is not difficult to imagine how a single tragic incident set off the city of Ferguson like a power keg," said Holder at a press conference.

Holder urged both Ferguson Police Department and Municipal Court to undertake "meaningful, sustainable and verifiable" reforms to restore trust with the local communities, warning that the DOJ reserves all rights and abilities to force compliance and implement basic change. Endite