FERGUSON

REPORTER Mr Attorney General ░░░░░░░░ you give us a ░░░░░░░░ more texture on why ░░░░░░░░ decided to launch this ░░░░░░░░ Your own conversations there ░░░░░░░░ talk about review of ░░░░░░░░ allegations Give us the ░░░░░░░░ of what went into ░░░░░░░░ MORAN We looked at ░░░░░░░░ number of things in ░░░░░░░░ initial and preliminary assessment ░░░░░░░░ whether or not to ░░░░░░░░ the investigation It included ░░░░░░░░ only discussions that the ░░░░░░░░ General had with residents ░░░░░░░░ Ferguson two weeks ago ░░░░░░░░ also other meetings that ░░░░░░░░ Civil rights division and ░░░░░░░░ relations service and other ░░░░░░░░ Department officials have had ░░░░░░░░ residents We ve looked ░░░░░░░░ course at public records ░░░░░░░░ other pieces of information ░░░░░░░░ are available to make ░░░░░░░░ assessment that this was ░░░░░░░░ an appropriate opening for ░░░░░░░░ pattern and practice investigation ░░░░░░░░ the civil rights division ░░░░░░░░ with city leaders in ░░░░░░░░ yesterday and they expressed ░░░░░░░░ strong willingness to assist ░░░░░░░░ and in fact were ░░░░░░░░ open to this investigation ░░░░░░░░ we will have cooperation ░░░░░░░░ our local residents REPORTER ░░░░░░░░ public records are we ░░░░░░░░ about MORAN There are ░░░░░░░░ number of pieces of ░░░░░░░░ that we looked at ░░░░░░░░ would have included demographics ░░░░░░░░ public records related to ░░░░░░░░ that may have been ░░░░░░░░ by private litigants There ░░░░░░░░ a number of different ░░░░░░░░ we looked at REPORTER ░░░░░░░░ Attorney General what about ░░░░░░░░ visit struck you to ░░░░░░░░ point where you felt ░░░░░░░░ able to move forward ░░░░░░░░ the investigation And then ░░░░░░░░ what do you say ░░░░░░░░ supporters of the police ░░░░░░░░ this investigation is premature ░░░░░░░░ in fact unfair to ░░░░░░░░ police department HOLDER Well ░░░░░░░░ would say that as ░░░░░░░░ said the assistant attorney ░░░░░░░░ said the decision to ░░░░░░░░ ahead was based not ░░░░░░░░ on what I heard ░░░░░░░░ I was out there ░░░░░░░░ was fairly compelling and ░░░░░░░░ was a certain continuity ░░░░░░░░ similarities and the kinds ░░░░░░░░ things that I was ░░░░░░░░ whether it s the ░░░░░░░░ stops revenue raising on ░░░░░░░░ basis of traffic stopped ░░░░░░░░ stops that occurred in ░░░░░░░░ parts of the area ░░░░░░░░ in addition to that ░░░░░░░░ in response to the ░░░░░░░░ question there has been ░░░░░░░░ review of documentary evidence ░░░░░░░░ that there are problems ░░░░░░░░ do not think there ░░░░░░░░ any question that there ░░░░░░░░ a basis to begin ░░░░░░░░ pattern or practice of ░░░░░░░░ So with regard to ░░░░░░░░ who might be concerned ░░░░░░░░ we are somehow being ░░░░░░░░ all we are saying ░░░░░░░░ this point is we ░░░░░░░░ opening an investigation to ░░░░░░░░ whether or not there ░░░░░░░░ in fact problems I ░░░░░░░░ the fact that we ░░░░░░░░ pledges of local cooperation ░░░░░░░░ an indication that there ░░░░░░░░ issues felt even there ░░░░░░░░ the local level indicating ░░░░░░░░ need for us to ░░░░░░░░ together to make the ░░░░░░░░ better But I want ░░░░░░░░ emphasize as I said ░░░░░░░░ the prepared remarks the ░░░░░░░░ majority of the people ░░░░░░░░ serve the American people ░░░░░░░░ a law enforcement capacity ░░░░░░░░ this country do so ░░░░░░░░ do so quite well ░░░░░░░░ vast majority of police ░░░░░░░░ do so I think ░░░░░░░░ well But where we ░░░░░░░░ problems it is incumbent ░░░░░░░░ us given our statutory ░░░░░░░░ to use federal law ░░░░░░░░ make sure that in ░░░░░░░░ occurs REPORTER indecipherable You ░░░░░░░░ this is the same ░░░░░░░░ we read a lot ░░░░░░░░ stuff and you said ░░░░░░░░ is no question that ░░░░░░░░ is justification for opening ░░░░░░░░ But I mean it ░░░░░░░░ sounds like we talk ░░░░░░░░ people we read some ░░░░░░░░ But what specifically Are ░░░░░░░░ cases that specifically predicated ░░░░░░░░ opening of this HOLDER ░░░░░░░░ when you say we ░░░░░░░░ a lot of stuff ░░░░░░░░ mean that s kind ░░░░░░░░ what we do You ░░░░░░░░ crosstalk REPORTER There is ░░░░░░░░ question but there is ░░░░░░░░ question to you But ░░░░░░░░ people who do not ░░░░░░░░ what you read and ░░░░░░░░ t know what you ░░░░░░░░ looking at what specifically ░░░░░░░░ you seen that said ░░░░░░░░ we have to open ░░░░░░░░ investigation HOLDER Molly maybe ░░░░░░░░ get into more of ░░░░░░░░ specifics but there are ░░░░░░░░ of documents and materials ░░░░░░░░ are contained in the ░░░░░░░░ record that exists about ░░░░░░░░ percentages of stops that ░░░░░░░░ that involve certain ethnic ░░░░░░░░ and whether those are ░░░░░░░░ with the numbers of ░░░░░░░░ who make up the ░░░░░░░░ There were whole variety ░░░░░░░░ things that you all ░░░░░░░░ reported on that I ░░░░░░░░ given us a good ░░░░░░░░ basis to proceed.”