On Aug. 9, 18-year-old Michael Brown was shot and killed in Ferguson, Mo. by Officer Darren Wilson. Over a month after his death—after the protests, the presence of the Department of Justice, and a memorial for Brown burning and being rebuilt—Ferguson Police Chief Tom Jackson has finally apologized.
In a video commissioned by the Devin James Group, Jackson expressed his sympathy to Brown's family. "I'm truly sorry for the loss of your son," he said. "I'm also sorry that it took so long to remove Michael from the street."
In addition to taking responsibility for any mistakes he's made in the case's handling, Jackson said he understood why the circumstances of Brown's death would lead to mistrust between local law enforcement and the African-American community:
I'm also aware of the pain and the feeling of mistrust felt in some of the African-American community toward the police department. The city belongs to all of us, and we are all a part of this community. It is clear that we have much work to do. As a community, a city, and a nation, we have real problems to solve. Not just in Ferguson, but the entire region and beyond. For any mistakes I have made, I take full responsibility. It's an honor to serve the city of Ferguson and the people who live there. I look forward to working with you in the future to solve our problems. And once again, I deeply apologize to the Brown family.
The Department of Justice's investigation into Brown's death is ongoing.
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