FERGUSON, MO, AUGUST 21 (RIA Novosti) – St. Louis County prosecutor Bob McCulloch has acknowledged concerns over his handling of the case of a police officer killing an unarmed African-American teenager but insisted he will stay on the investigation, a RIA Novosti correspondent reported Friday.
“I have no intention of walking away from the responsibilities and duties entrusted to me by the people of this community,” he added. “The family of Michael Brown deserves an answer, the people of Ferguson deserve an answer and the people of the entire area deserve an answer,” McCulloch said in a statement.
Critics question McCulloch’s suitability because he comes from a family of police in a department that is widely seen as racially-biased. McCulloch said that Missouri Governor Jay Nixon must decide whether to switch prosecutors.
“I appreciate and understand the concerns of those who honestly believe that I cannot or will not be fair to all in the gathering and presentation of the evidence pertaining to the tragic death of Michael Brown,” the prosecutor said.
“Although I understand the concerns, and do not take lightly the demands that I recuse myself from this case, I also recognize that I have a responsibility to the family of Michael Brown, the people of Ferguson and the entire community,” McCulloch said.
Ferguson, a mostly-African-American suburb of St Louis of some 21,000 residents, has been rocked by often violent protests since the police killing of Brown, an unarmed teen, as he walked with a friend on a residential street on the afternoon of August 9.
There were fewer arrests as protests eased on Wednesday night due to rainfall and a visit by America’s top lawman, Attorney General Eric Holder, who promised a thorough federal probe to complement local investigations.
Missouri National Guard troops were deployed on Monday to staunch the violence. Law enforcers have been criticized for bringing military tactics to civilian protests, toting assault rifles and using tear gas, rubber bullets and other heavy-handed measures.
