a decent article on the DOJ pursuing its' own investigation of the ferguson police incident
When a grand jury declined to indict Darren Wilson for killing Michael Brown, this did not mean that all of the legal questions had been resolved. While Wilson may not be charged with a crime under Missouri law, a federal prosecution remains possible.* “Though we have shared information with local prosecutors during the course of our investigation,” declared Attorney General Eric Holder in a statement released Tuesday, “the federal inquiry has been independent of the local one from the start, and remains so now.” And even if Darren Wilson is not charged with a state or federal criminal offense, the Department of Justice can act to make it less likely that police will shoot unarmed black men in the future.
Superficially, it might seem as if there is a good basis for charging Wilson with violating federal law. There is precedent for the federal government to step in and prosecute police officers for violent acts when local authorities are unable to secure a conviction. Most famously, two of the policemen who were caught on camera beating Rodney King but acquitted by a local jury were convicted for violating the Civil Rights Act of 1870.
Michael Brown and Rodney King: Department of Justice should file civil charges in Ferguson.