County official wants Brown prosecutor out

THE WASHINGTON POST

St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley said Friday he is leading an effort to remove the county prosecutor from investigating the Michael Brown case because he believes the prosecutor’s personal experiences and recent statements have tainted his ability to act objectively.

Brown, a black 18-year-old, was fatally shot by Officer Darren Wilson last Saturday in Ferguson, Mo. Wilson is white.

Dooley’s spokeswoman, Pat Washington, said there have been long-standing concerns among many black leaders in the community regarding County Prosecutor Robert McCulloch’s ability to handle such cases because his father was killed in the line of duty when McCulloch was 12 years old. The man who shot his father was black.

Most recently, she said, Dooley feels McCulloch crossed a line when he publicly criticized a decision this week by Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon, a Democrat, to bring in the state highway patrol to lead efforts to quell the violent street protests that erupted after the deadly shooting.

“He injected himself in a matter in a way that further exacerbates the community distrust of him,” said Washington. “Rather than stay focused on the investigation, the prosecuting attorney decided to wade over into a whole other area and challenge the governor. He inflamed the community, which already distrusts him.”

Washington said Dooley had called the state attorney general’s office to determine how a special prosecutor could be appointed in place of McCulloch and was told there was a petition process for doing so, which he is looking into.

Dooley met Friday night with several local and state elected officials whom Washington said have voiced similar concerns about McCulloch, but she declined to identify who was at the private meeting.

Ed Magee, a McCulloch spokesman, said his office believes the county prosecutor cannot be removed from the case.

“There is no petition process,” Magee said. “We are working with the county police. We will continue to work with them if it proceeds to the grand jury and beyond if necessary.”

Magee declined further comment about Dooley’s accusations.