Jacob Sullum on the Need for Independent Prosecutors to Review Police Shootings
A Justice Department report released last week makes a strong case that Ferguson, Missouri, police officer Darren Wilson acted in self-defense when he shot and killed Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager, last August. The report suggests that Robert McCulloch, the much-maligned St. Louis County prosecutor, made the right call when he decided not to pursue criminal charges against Wilson.
Jacob Sullum says McCulloch nevertheless was the wrong person to make that call. Sullum argues that McCulloch's lack of credibility, as illustrated by the upside-down grand jury process that he orchestrated to clear Wilson, highlights the need for independent prosecutors to review police shootings.