Probe to Reveal Pattern of Discrimination at Ferguson PD
The Department of Justice is expected to release its finding on the investigation into the Ferguson Police Department as early as Wednesday, sources tell ABC News.
According to a law enforcement official, the report will say the Ferguson Police Department's conduct routinely violated the constitution and federal law due to a combination of racial bias and a focus on generating revenue.
According to the findings, African-Americans make up 67 percent of the population of Ferguson, but were subject to 85 percent of traffic stops, 90 percent of citations and 93 percent of arrests.
In essence they accuse the Ferguson police department of a pattern and practice of discrimination.
The Justice Department's Civil Rights Division found multiple examples of police and municipal court officials exhibiting racial bias in emails sent on official Ferguson accounts.
Examples include a November 2008 email which stated that President Barack Obama would not be president for very long because "what black man holds a steady job for four years." Another racist email from May 2011 stated: "An African-American woman in New Orleans was admitted into the hospital for a pregnancy termination. Two weeks later she received check for $5,000. She phoned the hospital to ask who it was from. The hospital said, 'Crimestoppers.'"
From April to September 2014, 95 percent of people held at the Ferguson jail longer than two days were African American.
African Americans accounted for 95 percent of all "Manner of Walking in Roadway" -- essentially jaywalking -- charges, 94 percent of "failure to comply" charges and 92 percent of all "peace disturbance" charges.
