Justice Department finds pattern of racial bias in Ferguson police

Police officers in Ferguson
(Image credit: Cem Ozdel/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

Police in Ferguson, Missouri, displayed an overt bias against African-Americans in the course of their law enforcement duties, according to a Justice Department investigation.

The DOJ review found that Ferguson's police department routinely violated the constitutional rights of blacks, disproportionately targeted them for arrest, and often used excessive force against them, according to leaked details of the report. The report also uncovered a 2008 email between police and court employees joking that President Obama would not be president for long because, "what black man holds a steady job for four years?"

The full report, which arose after a white police officer fatally shot an unarmed black teenager last summer, is due out Wednesday.—Jon Terbush

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Jon Terbush

Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.