Ferguson, Missouri, police office Darren Wilson's four-month ordeal of "smear and slander" ought to be acknowledged — and it should come from President Barack Obama, New York Republican Rep. Peter King says.
King decried the "narrative" from "national leaders and by many in the media" that presumed Wilson's guilt.
"I think it would be very helpful if President Obama went and met with the police officer, or invited him to the White House and said, 'You've gone through four months of smear and slander, and the least we can do is tell you that it's unfortunate that it happened and thank you for doing your job,'" King told
Fox Business Network.
A clip of the interview was posted by
Politico.
King's call came a day after a St. Louis County
grand jury decided not to indict for the Aug. 9 fatal shooting of unarmed black man Michael Brown, 18.
"I thought it was terrible how, over the last four months, a narrative was put out there by our national leaders and by many in the media presuming that the police officer was guilty," King said.
Obama spoke to the nation after the decision Monday night, urging protesters to show "care and restraint."
But despite the pleas not only from Obama but from the Brown family itself,
looting and arson erupted in Ferguson.
"I wish he had said one good word about the police, one good word about officer Wilson, who has gone through all this," King said.
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