Police in Ferguson committed human rights abuses: Amnesty report

Police in Ferguson, Missouri, committed human rights abuses as they sought to quell mostly peaceful protests that erupted after an officer killed an unarmed black teenager, an international human rights organization said in a report released on Friday. Amnesty International said law enforcement officers should be investigated by U.S. authorities for the abuses, which occurred during weeks of racially charged protests that erupted after white Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson shot and killed Michael Brown, 18, on Aug. 9. The use by law enforcement of rubber bullets, tear gas and heavy military equipment and restrictions placed on peaceful protesters all violated international standards, the group said.

We’ve also learned we have to have a dialogue with our demonstrators, so they know what to expect from us, and we know what to expect from them.

St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar

The report also criticizes a Missouri law that the group said may be unconstitutional because it allows police to use deadly force against someone even if there is no imminent threat of harm. The report calls on state lawmakers to make Missouri law comply with international standards making lethal force by police a last resort, said Rachel Ward, director of research at Amnesty International. A grand jury in St. Louis County is weighing whether or not Darren Wilson should be charged in Brown’s death. Wilson has not spoken publicly about the incident. The Justice Department is investigating Brown’s killing and the Ferguson Police Department.

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