Justice Dept. Files Civil Rights Lawsuit Against Ferguson, Missouri

The U.S. Justice Department said on Wednesdays that it had filed a civil rights lawsuit against Ferguson, Missouri, to enforce a police and court reform plan after the city said it wanted to amend some aspects of a consent decree it reached with the federal agency. 

The Justice Department initiated a civil rights investigation into Ferguson's policing and court practices after an unarmed black teenager was killed by a white police officer in 2014. It resulted in a report that was extremely critical of Ferguson's police and court systems.

"Unable to reach a mutually agreed upon court-enforceable settlement to remedy the department's findings, the lawsuit was filed today," the Justice Department said in a statement.