Police officers in partial riot gear stand in protection of businesses during protests over the grand jury’s decision not to indict Officer Darren Wilson.
DEVELOPING: The Obama administration announced that it will no longer allow federal programs to supply local police forces with some military-style equipment.
The decision comes following recommendations made to the president in a new report produced by a White House working group. President Obama created the task force earlier this year via executive order to appease an outcry over police treatment of minority communities and protesters in the wake of the case of 18-year-old Michael Brown. The case that gave rise to a bogus “hands up don’t shoot” mantra, has been followed by a series of others, including the latest in Baltimore involving 25-year-old Freddie Gray that led to widespread riots.
“The idea is to make sure that we strike a balance in providing the equipment, which is appropriate and useful and important for local law enforcement agencies to keep the community safe, while at the same time putting standards in place so that there’s a clear reason for the transfer of that equipment, that there’s clear training and safety procedures in place,” White House Director of Domestic Policy Cecilia Muñoz said in a Sunday call with reporters.
