Feds: Police violated free-speech rights during Ferguson unrest

Police antagonized crowds gathered to protest in Ferguson, violated free-speech rights and made it difficult to hold officers accountable, according to a U.S. Department of Justice report summary obtained by CBS News.

The summary cited "vague and arbitrary" orders to keep protesters moving that violated their rights of assembly and free speech. It is part of a longer "after-action" report to be delivered this week to top police officials in Ferguson, St. Louis city and county and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

The summary suggests that unrest that followed the shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown was aggravated by the community's hostility toward Ferguson police and worsened when authorities didn't quickly divulge details of his death, the newspaper reported Tuesday.

"Had law enforcement released information on the officer-involved shooting in a timely manner and continued the information flow as it became available, community distrust and media skepticism would most likely have been lessened," according to the document.

Read more: Federal Report Faults Police Actions During Ferguson Unrest

Michael Brown's parents announce civil lawsuit in death

Lawyers for the parents of an unarmed, black 18-year-old who was fatally shot by a white police officer in the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson said Thursday that they would file a civil lawsuit in Michael Brown's death.

Read the DOJ report on the Ferguson police Department

A DOJ civil rights investigation into the Ferguson criminal justice system found that authorities have routinely violated the rights of black citizens and have used tickets to generate revenue for the city. Read the entire DOJ report on the Ferguson Police Department below:

Ferguson Police Department Report

DOJ: Ferguson PD engaged in racially biased policing

A Justice Department review has found that Missouri's troubled Ferguson Police Department engaged in a broad pattern of racially biased enforcement that permeated the city's justice system, including the use of unreasonable force against African American suspects, according to a law enforcement official familiar with the findings.

In 88% of cases in which Ferguson police documented the use of force, for example, that force was used against African Americans, according to the official who is not authorized to comment publicly. In addition, in all 14 canine bite incidents in which the suspect's race is known, the person bitten was African American.

African Americans account for 67% of the population in Ferguson, but they accounted for 85% of the drivers stopped by police, 90% of the people issued tickets and 93% of the people arrested, a three-year examination of suspect stops found. When those cases reached the Municipal Court, authorities collected more fines for suspects' failure to appear than any other charge, mostly from the city's poorest and most vulnerable residents.

African Americans were more than twice as likely than white drivers to be searched during vehicle stops, but 26% less likely to have contraband, the review found.

The Ferguson Police Department often charged its black residents with petty crimes. African Americans accounted for 95% of the people charged with walking in the street and 92% of people charged with disturbing the peace.

Investigators also recovered racially charged e-mails sent among employees of the police department and the Ferguson Municipal Court, which authorities said contributed to the alleged bias.

Among the e-mails was a missive apparently sent soon after President Obama's 2008 election. It suggested that he would not remain long in the job because "what black man holds a steady job for four years.''

Another May 2011 e-mail referred to an African-American woman receiving a "Crime-stoppers'' reward for terminating a pregnancy.

Read more: DOJ: Ferguson PD engaged in racially biased policing

Michael Brown shooting: Ferguson police release almost blank incident report

It's been two weeks and the Ferguson Police Dept. (not to be confused with the Keystone Cops) has just released what it claims to be the incident report from the Michael Brown shooting. They released only after the ACLU threatened to sue to get it. Well now we have it and the damned thing is almost blank and reveals no information about the shooting itself. Don't take my word for it, look for yourself.

Read the report: Michael Brown Shooting Incident Report

Where's the Tea Party, Conservatives, and militias in Ferguson?

Where's the Tea Party, Conservatives, and militias in Ferguson?
By George L. Cook III AfricanAmericanReports.com

On the surface the question of where's the Tea Party, conservatives, and militias in Ferguson might sound absurd. That is unless you are me. When Cliven Bundy the tax cheat faced off against federal authorities earlier this year the Tea Party and the militias road to the rescue. How dare the government over reach by trying to make someone pay money they legally owe. Those bastards! How dare they try to oppress a real American by sending in jack booted thugs normally known as federal agents.

Now if you follow the logic of these Tea Party groups, conservatives, and militias then it reasons that they should be in Ferguson defending the rights of the people of Ferguson. Aren't they being oppressed by their local government? I mean isn't trying to shut down the media the act of oppressors? Isn't that why they claim to need all of those weapons? You know to stand up against government tyranny and government over reach.

They are supposed to stop jack booted thugs and what's more jack booted than this:

When I first saw the pictures of cops in Ferguson I initially thought I was watching coverage of the situation on the Ukraine until I saw young black men.

Where is the Tea Party decrying the loss of constitutional rights for the people of Ferguson? I'm really wondering why they are not there. I mean isn't what's going on in Ferguson the essence of their tin foil hat fantasies?

Could it be that they can't find Missouri on a map?

Could it be the fearsome appearance of the Ferguson police?

Or could it be that they only defend "Real Americans"? (dog whistle)

George Cook AfricanAmericanReports.com