A stream of evidence in the Michael Brown shooting investigation has been leaking out in recent days, and that’s alarming some St. Louis community leaders.
St. Louis Alderman Antonio French
People claiming to know officer Darren Wilson’s version of what happened when Michael Brown was shot have talked to the media, and now the second of three autopsy reports has been released. St. Louis Alderman Antonio French says even with everything else that’s been reported to date, there is still no knowing what happened that day.
“What I’m alarmed by is the way this is being tried in the public and that information is being leaked out and we’re not getting a clear picture of everything,” says French.
Instead, he tells CNN, his community is still waiting for the opportunity to move on.
“I think one of the things that we’ve asked for from the beginning is that the only way that this thing can happen in a way that actually gives the community what they’re asking for is a public trial,” says French, “and I’m concerned that the way this information is being leaked out that it really does not give much credence to the process and it doesn’t restore faith in the process.”
French says if officer Darren Wilson is not indicted, he worries about what will happen not just in the short-term, but also in the long-term.
“Our community has been really ripped apart and we’ve got a lot of healing to do. We have people that need to come together in the end of the day because we all have to live together,” says French. “The only way that we’re going to lay that groundwork for a better future I think is to really do this in a fair way that gets all the information out there and then most reasonable people can feel somewhat satisfied that the process worked, and I don’t think we’re seeing that right now.”
French wants to know who’s behind the leaks and to have them stopped.
Bob McCulloch and Attorney General Holder should be launching investigations into who is leaking this info. Police? Attorneys? Jurors?
— Antonio French (@AntonioFrench) October 22, 2014
However a St. Louis County prosecutor’s office spokesman tells the Los Angeles Times the leaks don’t appear to be coming from his office or the grand jury, and says his office won’t be looking into them.
“There’s really nothing to investigate,” Magee told the times. “We don’t have control over anybody leaking anything. All we can control is people in our office and the grand jury.”
Magee further said that his office can’t force journalists to divulge their sources and suggested the information could be coming from federal officials.
The Justice Department tells the Times that’s not happening.
“The department considers the selective release of information in this investigation to be irresponsible and highly troubling,” the department told the Times in a statement. “Since the release of the convenience store footage, there seems to be an inappropriate effort to influence public opinion about this case.”
The statement refers to the release of footage from a convenience store security camera that apparently shows Brown participating in theft of cigars from the store and the intimidation of the clerk, not long before the shooting.
