Ferguson shooting: Police chief apologises over Michael Brown
The police chief of the Missouri town where unarmed black teenager
Michael Brown was shot dead has apologised, reports DW.
Brown's death sparked violent riots and a debate in the United States on race relations.
Ferguson is a suburb of St. Louis with a
population of 21,000 - the majority of whom are African American. The police
force and town council are overwhelmingly white.
Brown's death sparked violent riots and a debate in the United States on race relations.
The police chief of the small town of Ferguson ,
Missouri ,
used a video message to say he was sorry for the mistakes his force made after
the killing of Michael Brown.
Brown, a black teenager, died after being shot at least six
times by Darren Wilson, a white police officer, on August 9. The 18-year-old's
body was left in the street for several hours before being taken away.
Police Chief Thomas Jackson said he took responsibility for
"any mistakes I have made."
Addressing Michael Brown's family, Jackon said: "No one
who has not experienced the loss of a child can understand what you're feeling.
I'm truly sorry for the loss of your son. I'm also sorry that it took so long
to remove Michael from the street."
"It was just too long and I'm truly sorry for that.
Please know that the investigating officers meant no disrespect, they were
simply trying to do their jobs," Jackson
said.
Brown's death triggered days of sometimes violent protests
and a renewed national debate on racial discrimination within the American
justice system. It came two years after the 2012 killing of Trayvon Martin, a Florida teenager who was
shot dead by neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman.
There are conflicting accounts of the circumstances of
Brown's death. Police claimed that Brown, accused of stealing a box of cigars,
was shot after a struggle with police officer Wilson.
But witnesses say Brown put up his hands to surrender before
Wilson opened
fire. Wilson
has been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation.
Apology to protesters
Police Chief Jackson also apologized to those who felt their
constitutional right to protest had not been protected. Demonstrations against
Brown's death led to hundreds of arrests, with some protesters complaining that
police used undue force against them.
The violence prompted Missouri
governor Jay Nixon to briefly call in the National Guard to bring the protests
under control.
"The right of the people to peacefully assembly is what
the police are here to protect," Jackson
said.
"If anyone who was peacefully exercising that right is
upset and angry, I feel responsible and I am sorry. I'm also aware of the pain
and the feeling of mistrust felt in some of the African-American community
towards the police department," he added.
"It is clear we have much work to do."
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