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                        Ferguson Police Chief Apologizes

   by VOA News

   The police chief of Ferguson, Missouri, has issued a video apology to
   the family of Michael Brown, the 18-year-old unarmed black teenager who
   was killed last month in the small Midwestern town by a white police
   officer.

   Thomas Jackson said Thursday in the video, "no one who has not
   experienced the loss of a child can understand what you're feeling. I
   am truly sorry for the loss of your son."

   Jackson also apologized for taking "so long to remove" Brown's body
   from the street where he was killed. He said investigators were
   collecting evidence to gain "a true picture of what happened that day,
   but it was just too long."

   Brown's death triggered weeks of protests in the streets of Ferguson
   that at times turned into violent clashes with police. Demonstrators
   accused law enforcement officials of institutionalized racism against
   minorities in the area.

   Police Chief Jackson briefly joined demonstrators at a Thursday night
   rally in Ferguson before demonstrators clashed with police. Several
   arrests were made.

   In the video, Jackson also offered an apology to "any peaceful
   protester who did not feel that I did enough to protect their
   constitutional right to protest."

   Some Ferguson residents and civil rights activists have said officers
   were overly aggressive with protesters, citing their use of tear gas
   and military-style vehicles and gear.

   A grand jury is examining whether officer Darren Wilson will face
   charges in Brown's death.

   The U.S. Justice Department has launched a civil rights investigation
   into the shooting, as well as a separate investigation into the
   practices of the police department in Ferguson, a suburb of St. Louis.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/ferguson-police-chief-apologizes/2463
   134.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/ferguson-police-chief-apologizes/2463134.html