ABC News: Feds Suing Ferguson for Racial Discrimination by Police

RUSH TRANSCRIPT:

ROBERTS: “New developments overnight in Ferguson, Missouri. The federal government announcing it’s suing the city trying to force it to overhaul its police department. Which has repeatedly been accused of racial discrimination. ABC’s Pierre Thomas is in Washington with that story for us. Good morning, Pierre.”
THOMAS: “Good morning, robin. In a blunt press conference the attorney general accused the city of Ferguson of stonewalling attempts to right the wrongs of a police department she flatly described as racially biased.”
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PROTESTERS: “This is what democracy looks like.”
THOMAS (voice-over): “This morning the justice department firmly agreeing with black residents of Ferguson saying their complaints of unfair and racially biased police enforcement are, in fact, true.”
LYNCH: “The Ferguson police department’s violations in particular were expansive and deliberate, stopping people without reasonable suspicion. By arresting them without cause and by using unreasonable force. These violations were not only egregious, they were routine. They were driven at least in part by racial bias.”
THOMAS (voice-over): “The justice department now suing the city of Ferguson less than 24 hours after the city council rejected a deal to reform the police.”
KNOWLES: “I think the things that we’ve asked for are very reasonable. We’re not trying to take away any safeguards.”
THOMAS (voice-over): “The attorney general wasn’t buying it saying blacks in the city which saw so much unrest after the fatal police shooting of Michael Brown —“
LYNCH: “They have waited decades for justice. They should not be forced to wait any longer.”
THOMAS (voice-over): “Ferguson officials say they’re willing to reform police practices but argue that implementing the deal might be too costly and that changes were needed.”
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THOMAS: “Ferguson city councilman mark burns sent us an e-mail last night saying while Washington politicians can run up endless debt that doesn’t work in Ferguson where we, quote, ‘actually have to pay our bills.’ The legal showdown now fully engaged. Robin.”
ROBERTS: “It certainly is. All right, Pierre, thank you.”