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Eric Holder in Ferguson

August 20, 2014

The top US law enforcement offical has arrived in Missouri after police arrested 47 protesters in Ferguson on Wednesday. This is the 11th night of demonstrations over the killing of a black teenager by a white officer.

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Eric Holder / US-Justizminister / Ferguson / USA
Image: Reuters

US Attorney General Eric Holder traveled to St. Louis Wednesday to assist in the federal investigation of the murder of an unarmed black teen by a white police officer in the nearby suburb of Ferguson. In an opinion piece that ran in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch newspaper on Wednesday, Holder pledged what he called a full, fair and independent investigation.

"And beyond the investigation itself, we will work with the police, civil rights leaders and members of the public to ensure that this tragedy can give rise to new understanding - and robust action - aimed at bridging persistent gaps between law enforcement officials and the communities we serve," he wrote.

State Governor Jay Nixon lifted a midnight curfew Tuesday, a day after he ordered the Missouri National Guard to restore order in Ferguson, with its population of 21,000 people. So far, however, there is no sign the protests will cease.

'As expeditiously as possible'

St. Louis County has also launched a grand jury investigation into the death. Prosecutor Bob McCulloch said his office could continue presenting evidence to a grand jury through mid-October.

Outside his office on Wednesday, a few dozen protesters called for McCulloch's removal from the case and for the immediate arrest of the officer involved in the shooting: 28-year-old Darren Wilson, who has taken leave and "gone into seclusion," according to news reports. Even politicians from the area were calling for McCulloch's removal.

"On one side, people are saying you're rushing to justice, and on the other side, they're saying you're dragging this thing out," McCulloch said Wednesday at a news conference. "We're going to present this as expeditiously as possible, but we are not going to present it in a half-hearted manner."

At a press conference Wednesday, state Highway Patrol Captain Ron Johnson said Tuesday's protests had remained peaceful, though 47 people had been arrested after, he said, and some protesters threw bottles at security forces. Officers had fired no bullets or tear gas.

mkg/glb (Reuters, AFP, dpa, AP)