Ferguson turns to U.S. Justice Department after Michael Brown verdict

Long before the riots over Michael Brown's death in Ferguson there was Rodney King's 1991 beating in L.A. Four officers were caught on tape and later acquitted, triggering massive riots and a new federal law lobbied for by the Black Caucus in Congress, giving Washington the power to step in over local governments to address civil rights and other police violations in cities and counties.

• Ferguson officer Darren Wilson's grand jury testimony: 7 revelations -- Meagan Fitzpatrick, CBC News

It was like a 5-year-old holding on to Hulk Hogan. He was very large, very powerful man. Darren Wilson, Ferguson Police Officer

Darren Wilson says he has a clean conscience. The white Ferguson police officer who shot unarmed black teenager Michael Brown broke his silence yesterday in an interview with ABC News chief anchor George Stephanopoulos.

The lawyer for Michael Brown's family sees things differently then Darren Wilson's account.

We went through as much evidence as we could and saw how completely unfair this process was. We object publicly and loudly as we can on behalf of Michael Brown's family, that this process is broken.Benjamin Crump, Attorney for Michael Brown's family

Relations between the predominantly white police force and the predominantly African-American town had been tense for some time. According to the Ferguson Police Department's own numbers, African Americans are more likely to be stopped while driving and nearly twice as likely to be searched and arrested even though they are less likely to be found with contraband.

Now, there are calls for the U.S. Federal Government to intervene... and there is a way it could be done.

Garrett Albert Duncan is an Associate Professor of Education at Washington University in St. Louis.

There is a way the U.S. Federal Government can pressure the Ferguson Police Force to change its behaviour. In 1994, in the wake of the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles, the U.S. Congress passed what's called The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act.

Sam Walker is a Professor Emeritus of Criminal Justice at the University of Nebraska.

There are disagreements about whether the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act is the best way to address bad policing.

Bill Johnson heads the U.S.National Association of Police Organizations. He was in Alexandria, Virginia.

Of course there are police shootings and allegations of racism here in Canada too. For a sense of how those issues are handled, we were joined by Alok Mukherjee, the head of the Toronto Police Services Board.

This segment was produced by The Current's Sarah Grant, Shannon Higgins and Marc Apollonio.