Department of Justice Declines to Bring Civil Rights Charges Against Darren Wilson

The Department of Justice has said that it will not pursue charges pertaining to civil rights violations against Darren Wilson, the Ferguson, MO police officer who killed Michael Brown, sparking protests nationwide.

The New York Times reports that the Department of Justice found no basis to charge Darren Wilson with civil rights violations as an individual. However, a separate investigation into the conduct and practices of the Ferguson Police Department as it pertains to civil rights is still open.

That investigation will focus on allegations of racial profiling and excessive force.

For example, NPR reports that the police target black motorists more than white motorists in an effort to increase revenue for the small municipality. Although blacks make up 67 percent of Ferguson's population, they constitute 86 percent of drivers that the police stop, and by extension pay most of the fees and tickets that the police in Ferguson issue. NPR notes that money earned from traffic offenses was the second largest source of revenue for Ferguson.

The decision by the Department of Justice marks the end of the legal saga that has swirled around the town of Ferguson and Darren Wilson since the death of Michael Brown. A grand jury investigating the shooting of the unarmed Michael Brown chose not to press charges.

That decision caused riots in Ferguson and protests nationwide that saw public spaces occupied and highways closed in major cities.

The prosecutor in the case, Bob McCulloch, is currently under investigation for wrongdoing because of the way he handled the grand jury. He is accused of misconduct because he allowed a person he knew to be lying to testify in front of the grand jury. He also provided every single piece of evidence in the case to the jury despite the fact this is far from typical in grand juries.