It is apparent, if you go back through our history, that the grand juries of the criminal justice system do not value black lives.
From William Lacy Clay, Jr.
A militarized police force facing down innocent protesters with sniper rifles and machine guns is totally unacceptable in America.
I went to Ferguson and walked with the demonstrators and saw this heavily armed police force, tactical units pointing sniper rifles at my constituents who were there exercising their constitutional rights.
I made a promise to Michael Brown's parents that I would do everything to bring all of the resources of the federal government to this investigation so that it is transparent; so that it is a viable investigation, and we get to the truth.
I have absolutely no confidence in the Ferguson police, the county prosecutor.
Just to assassinate Michael Brown's character is wrong.
Michael Brown happened to be black. Trayvon Martin happened to be black. Eric Garner was a black man. So this pattern continues over and over.
It's an issue that we need to have a national discussion about, the militarization of local police forces, and then when they are used to quell peaceful demonstration. Then we have a problem, and especially around this entire case of the murder of Michael Brown at the hands of a Ferguson police officer.
We have to have a national conversation about how police forces should interact with the African-American community, who happens to be paying their salary, who want to be served and protected, who these officers are take an oath to do so.
I made a commitment and a promise to Ms. McSpadden, Michael Brown's mother, that I will pursue justice with the family at every avenue, be it on the federal level or at the state level.
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