Justice Dept. Blames Police for Ferguson Unrest
07-01-2015
A federal report blames Ferguson police for much of the unrest that erupted in the streets of the Missouri city last summer.
A Justice Department draft report, prepared by its Community Oriented Policing Services office, accuses police of antagonizing crowds and violating free-speech rights.
The Associated Press reports that officers cited for "vague and arbitrary" orders to keep protesters moving. According to the report, those orders went against their rights of assembly and free speech.
The study is part of a larger review of how police responded in the first 16 days after an officer shot and killed 18-year-old Michael Brown last August.
