Page 3 - Aruba Today

U.S. NEWS A3
Friday 12 February 2016

Ferguson officials debate future of police department

JIM SALTER Wesley Bell, the Ferguson Ferguson police Sgt. Dominica Fuller speaks during an interview in Ferguson, Mo. As Ferguson
Associated Press city councilman who au- leaders consider a lawsuit filed against the city by the U.S. Department of Justice, the town’s ef-
FERGUSON, Mo. (AP) — thored the amendments, fort at an amended agreement with DOJ acknowledged that losing the police department is a
As Ferguson prepares to said Wednesday that giv- possibility.
do legal battle with the ing up control of police du-
Justice Department, the ties would be a last resort. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
city’s leaders have ac- “Our goal is to have our
knowledged the possibility police department do our
that they might someday policing and be the gold
disband the police de- standard of policing in the
partment and cede law region, if not the country,”
enforcement to another Bell said.
agency. The question is: He acknowledged that
Would anyone else want takeover could eventually
it? prove necessary if the city
The federal government cannot afford the reforms,
sued Ferguson on Wednes- which is possible. A recent
day, just a day after an financial analysis estimated
agreement to radically re- the cost of the mandates
shape the city’s police and at up to $3.7 million in the
municipal court practices first year alone.
fell apart. On Tuesday, the “We don’t want language
Ferguson City Council ap- that would discourage oth-
proved the settlement, but er agencies from providing
with seven amendments. In services to assist the city of
the eyes of the Justice De- Ferguson,” Bell said.
partment, that amounted The federal lawsuit was just
to rejection. the latest fallout from the
Among the attempted federal scrutiny that fol-
changes was a statement lowed the police shooting
that the terms of the agree- death of Michael Brown.
ment would not apply if A grand jury and the Jus-
another agency takes over tice Department declined
duties currently provided to prosecute Wilson, con-
by Ferguson, such as polic- cluding evidence backed
ing. his claim that he shot Brown
But Attorney General Loret- in self-defense after Brown
ta Lynch said allowing the first tried to grab the offi-
city to evade terms of the cer’s gun during a struggle
agreement by transferring through the window of Wil-
control of the police to an- son’s police vehicle, then
other state entity was “sim- came toward him threat-
ply unconscionable” and eningly after briefly running
would allow local lead- away. Wilson resigned in
ers to escape the require- November 2014.q
ments almost anytime.

Massive natural gas leak near LA
plugged after 16 weeks: officials

BRIAN MELLEY begun the process of seal-
Associated Press ing the well and perma-
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A nently stopping the leak,”
blowout at a natural gas Jimmie Cho, a SoCalGas
well that gushed uncon- senior vice president, said
trollably for 16 weeks and in a statement.
drove thousands of resi- If the plug holds and all
dents from their Los Ange- goes according to plan to
les homes was plugged seal the well, the upscale
Thursday, a utility said. Porter Ranch community
While the well still needs in the San Fernando Val-
to be permanently sealed ley could begin to return
with cement and inspected to normalcy after schools
by state regulators, the an- were closed and about
nouncement by Southern 6,000 families were uproot-
California Gas Co. marked ed as they complained of
the first time the leak has headaches, nausea, nose-
been under control since it bleeds and other symp-
was reported Oct. 23. toms as an intermittent
“We have temporarily con- stench wafted through the
trolled the natural gas flow area.q
from the leaking well and