In what shaped up to be a showdown of sorts, residents of Ferguson made clear to City Council members in the first formal meeting since the police shooting of teen Michael Brown that they no longer held the reins of authority.
“You’ve lost your authority to govern this community,” said St. Louis activist John Chasnoff, CBS News reported. “You’re going to have to step aside peacefully if this community is going to heal.”
Residents attending the evening meeting were angry and warned of voter retribution at the polls. They also vowed to reform the municipal courts, CBS News reported. The City Council’s suggestions to create a citizen review board to oversee police activity were met with skepticism and outrage.
The meeting was marked by interruptions from the crowd as participants shouted and clamored for discussion of the St. Louis shooting while City Council members attempted to talk about other matters.
“I heard the mayor say Ferguson doesn’t have a race problem,” said Taurean Russell, 30, CBS News reported. “There must be two Fergusons.”
The Department of Justice has kicked off an investigation into the Ferguson Police Department to see if discrimination is rampant.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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