USA-MISSOURI/SHOOTING-OBAMA Obama says supports decision not to charge officer in Ferguson shooting
Record ID:
324500
USA-MISSOURI/SHOOTING-OBAMA Obama says supports decision not to charge officer in Ferguson shooting
- Title: USA-MISSOURI/SHOOTING-OBAMA Obama says supports decision not to charge officer in Ferguson shooting
- Date: 6th March 2015
- Summary: FERGUSON, MISSOURI, UNITED STATES (FILE) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS PROFANITY*** RIOTING IN FERGUSON, MISSOURI, FOLLOWING A JURY'S FAILURE TO INDICT OFFICER DARREN WILSON
- Embargoed: 21st March 2015 12:00
- Keywords:
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVADGS4GCDPQNRU9VJO3NB0BOJSO
- Story Text: **EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS PROFANITY**
U.S. President Barack Obama said on Friday (March 6) he fully supported the U.S. Justice Department's decision not to charge a white police officer who shot and killed an unarmed black teenager last year.
"You can't just charge him anyway because what happened was tragic," Obama told a town hall-style meeting in South Carolina. "That was the decision that was made, and I have complete confidence and stand fully behind the decision that was made by the Justice Department on that issue," he went on to say.
"The City of Ferguson will now have to make a decision. Are they going to enter into some sort of agreement with the justice department to fix what is clearly a broken and racially biased system, or, if they don't, then the Justice Department has the capacity to sue the city for violations of the rights of the people of Ferguson," Obama added.
The Justice Department said it did not find grounds to prosecute police officer Darren Wilson for killing 18-year-old Michael Brown, but it did find racially disparate practices rampant through the police force, with officers targeting African-Americans for arrests and ticketing in part to raise revenue for the city through fines and fees. - Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
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