The Justice Department will launch a broad civil rights investigation into the Ferguson Police Department and other St. Louis County law-enforcement agencies, according to multiple media reports Wednesday night.
An official announcement is planned for Thursday.
The Justice Department has already launched an investigation into the specific case of the death of Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager who was shot by white police officer Darren Wilson on Aug. 9.
Officer Wilson said that Brown attacked him and posed a danger, but the event set off a chain of riots and protests, and prompted the federal government to look at whether race was a factor in the shooting.
Now the Justice Department seems poised to launch a general inquiry into the activities of the Ferguson police, an investigation that could carry jail time for any discovered wrongdoing.
A federal grand jury has also been convened to debate the facts in the Ferguson case, but has so far not reached a conclusion.
• Phillip Swarts can be reached at pswarts@washingtontimes.com.
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