FBI Takes Over Case of Cop Who Shot Unarmed Teen

Federal agency to investigate death of 18-year-old Michael Brown
By Jenn Gidman,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 11, 2014 12:47 PM CDT
FBI Takes Over Case of Cop Who Shot Unarmed Teen
Cleanup begins Monday, Aug. 11, 2014, after a night of unrest following a candlelight vigil for 18-year-old shooting victim Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo.   (AP Photo/St. Louis Post-Dispatch, David Carson)

The FBI will be taking over the investigation into the shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., the local police chief tells the AP. The unarmed teen was fatally shot Saturday by a St. Louis officer after a struggle. A candlelight vigil for Brown on Sunday turned violent, resulting in looting and fires and at least 32 arrests for theft, assault, or burglary, notes the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Both the executive of St. Louis County and the NAACP had indicated they wanted the FBI to get involved, according to the Blaze.

The community is still reeling. The Ferguson police chief says it has been "the worst week of my life, and last night was the worst night of my life" in his 35 years on the force; a local school district also canceled the first day of school for its students today, citing safety concerns in light of last night's violence, reports the Post-Dispatch. Brown's death has polarized Ferguson. "This is exactly what is supposed to be happening when an injustice is happening in your community," one resident says in defense of last night's looting. "You have kids getting killed for nothing." But a local father who says his "heart goes out" to Brown's mother implores the people of Ferguson to "let justice prevail," adding that what should have been a respectful vigil "turned into chaos, confusion, and destruction." (More Michael Brown stories.)

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