Special Prosecutors: Investigations and Prosecutions of Police Use of Deadly Force

12/12/2014 News Insights

By Federation of American Scientists & Campaign Zero

Report: With grand juries in Ferguson, Missouri and Staten Island, New York voting not to indict the police officers
involved in the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner, respectively, many are questioning whether local
prosecutors are adequately presenting these cases to the grand juries. Many have expressed concern that the potential symbiotic relationship between prosecutors and law enforcement officers deters criminal
prosecutions against police officers who take the life of another in the line of duty. Prompted by these
events and others, some have called for special prosecutors to investigate cases of alleged law enforcement
criminality, believing that the appointment of a special prosecutor would remove this potential bias, and
perhaps more importantly, improve the appearance of impartiality in the eyes of an increasingly concerned
public.