The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Wednesday it’s suing Ferguson, Mo. for alleged civil rights violations stemming from the city’s police and court system.
In the lawsuit, DOJ officials say Ferguson’s is committing “ongoing and pervasive” violations of residents’ civil liberties, reported The Washington Post. The suit follows a scathing report on the city’s policing and court practices issued by the DOJ in 2015, after the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown by police.
“Residents of Ferguson have suffered the deprivation of their constitutional rights — the rights guaranteed to all Americans — for decades,” Attorney General Loretta Lynch said in a statement announcing the lawsuit, according to the The Washington Post. “They have waited decades for justice. They should not be forced to wait any longer.”
The DOJ alleged in the lawsuit the civil rights violations stem from the city’s use of the police and court system to generate revenue at the expense of residents’ safety needs and civil rights. The allegations in the suit are a continuation of those in the 2015 report, which accused the city’s police and court system of systemic racism.
Federal officials and Ferguson officials have been negotiating potential reforms for months, and had reached a tentative agreement in January that set up reforms including long-term programs to promote police-youth interactions and more supervision of police. But Ferguson’s city council voted unanimously Tuesday night to accept the proposals only if the DOJ agreed to a number of changes, including changed deadlines and alterations of certain fees.
Ferguson officials defended their decision Wednesday, reported The Washington Post, saying the DOJ “must accept” their demands, although leaving some indication it’s not an ultimatum. “The city of Ferguson is and will be open to continued negotiations with the Department of Justice,” City Councilman Wesley Bell said at a press conference Wednesday.
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