FERGUSON, Mo. — An independent commission will be created to study issues that have surfaced since the fatal police shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon said Tuesday.
Nixon, who has been criticized by some residents and activists who say he hasn’t done enough to address the unrest in the St. Louis suburb, said the Ferguson Commission will examine the social and economic conditions underscored by the weeks of protests following the shooting.
The Democrat outlined his plan for the commission, which will be created by executive order, during a news conference at St. Louis Community College’s Florissant Valley campus.
The shooting of Brown, an unarmed, black 18-year-old, has spurred unrest that has drawn the national spotlight to Ferguson, including violent protests in the immediate aftermath of the Aug. 9 shooting and calls for the white officer who killed Brown to be arrested and charged.
Nixon said the commission will have no role in investigating Brown’s death. A grand jury in St. Louis County is hearing evidence on whether officer Darren Wilson should be criminally charged and is expected to announce its decision next month. The Justice Department has opened a civil rights probe.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.