Investigation of the Ferguson Police Department: w/ Memo Re: Criminal Investigation into the Shooting Death of Michael Brown

This single publication contains both U.S. Department of Justice Ferguson reports: the "Investigation of the Ferguson Police Department" and the "Report Regarding the Criminal Investigation into the Shooting Death of Michael Brown by Ferguson, Missouri Police Officer Darren Wilson."The Justice Department conducted two civil rights investigations related to Ferguson, Missouri. The Justice Department found that the Ferguson Police Department (FPD) engaged in a pattern or practice of conduct that violates the First, Fourth, and 14th Amendments of the Constitution. The Justice Department also found that the evidence examined in its independent, federal investigation into the fatal shooting of Michael Brown does not support federal civil rights charges against Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson.As to the Ferguson Police Department, the findings laid out in this report discuss the evidence and what remedies should be implemented to end the pattern or practice. The findings include two sets of recommendations, 26 in total, that the Justice Department believes are necessary to correct the unconstitutional FPD and Ferguson Municipal Court practices.Further, the federal criminal investigation into the fatal shooting of Michael Brown sought to determine whether the evidence from the events that led to Brown's death was sufficient to prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that Wilson's actions violated federal civil rights laws that make it a federal crime for someone acting with law enforcement authority to willfully violate a person's civil rights. After a careful and deliberative review of all of the evidence, the department has determined that the evidence does not establish that Darren Wilson violated the applicable federal criminal civil rights statute.