It really is shocking to compare and contrast the actions of the Sanford PD in the Martin shooting to the Ferguson PD here. Even as incompetent as their investigation ultimately proved to be, Sanford PD still took time to canvas the neighborhood in the immediate aftermath and interview witnesses. Here, the FPD apparently decided that the cop’s recall of events was enough to whitewash the whole thing and didn’t even bother asking people if they’d seen anything. The key eyewitness, the victim’s friend who’d been with him all through the altercation, has never been interviewed and the FPD has instead taken pains to avoid actually doing so.

I don’t think we can write off their actions to incompetence anymore. There is a willful attempt here to subvert the rule of law. If the FBI doesn’t come down on them hard, then it’s going to have long term repercussions.