Ferguson Hiring Black Police Chief To Lead Force

Source: ASSOCIATED PRESS

By ASSOCIATED PRESS Published JULY 22, 2015, 10:24 AM EDT

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Ferguson Mayor James Knowles III and interim City Manager Ed Beasley announced on Wednesday the hiring of Andre Anderson, a police commander in the Phoenix suburb of Glendale, Arizona.

Anderson becomes the second interim chief since Police Chief Thomas Jackson stepped down in March. His resignation came days after a Justice Department report cited racial bias and profiling in Ferguson policing and a profit-driven municipal court system that frequently targeted blacks.

The Justice Department scrutiny followed the Aug. 9 shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Brown, who was black, by a white Ferguson officer — a shooting that sparked often-violent protests.

Anderson will take a six-month leave of absence from Glendale and begin duties in Ferguson Thursday.

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