Ferguson Police Chief Thomas Jackson is expected to resign, but only under certain conditions.
Thomas Jackson, the embattled Ferguson, Missouri police chief who chose to release a video of Michael Brown during a press conference designed to paint a negative image of the 18-year old unarmed shooting victim, will be resigning. MSNBC’s Thomas Roberts reported the news minutes ago.
That report follows one published shortly earlier by CNN, which states Chief Jackson is “willing” to resign, but only under certain conditions. Jackson “has indicated he is willing to step down, but first he wants to ensure that the police department stays in place and is not dissolved, a source in the Ferguson, Missouri, City Hall says.”
The City of Ferguson, including Jackson’s police force, were the focus of a “scathing” Dept. of Justice review released just last week that found evidence of repeated excessive bias, racism, and extreme force used by the Ferguson Police Department. Earlier today, NCRM reported that Ferguson Mayor James Knowles is rejecting the DOJ’s report, claiming it contains “no proof” to support its conclusion that civil rights violations were regularly committed by Ferguson police and judges.
The Dept. of Justice has the option to dissolve the Ferguson Police Department if it finds sufficient changes cannot be made.
UPDATE – 4:47 PM EST:
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Image of Chief Jackson by Jamelle Bouie via Wikimedia