To: Jamilah Nasheed (MO-5)
Require A Special Prosecutor to Investigate Fatal Use of Force by Police
County Prosecutors necessarily work closely with police every day. This close relationship presents a clear conflict of interest when investigating fatal use of force by police. There are too many questions lingering in the wake of the grand jury proceedings in the Michael Brown case for this process not to see some reform.
Why is this important?
I live in St. Louis and want every citizen to have no doubt that they will always receive equal treatment under the law. The prosecutor's decision to use a grand jury and the presentation of evidence to the grand jury did nothing to reassure the public's concern about lack of impartiality. On the contrary, many are left to reasonably wonder whether it was Michael Brown or Darren Wilson that was being investigated. A special prosecutor would go a long way toward restoring trust in future cases of alleged police misconduct.