Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) said on Monday that parallel federal and state reviews should be undertaken into the events that led to the death of 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo.
Blunt said he spoke to President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder about the ongoing investigations on Monday.
“I explained to the president that I’ve been pleased with my conversations with the attorney general and civil rights division regarding their helpful understanding that they aren’t taking over this investigation, but are conducting a parallel review of the events that led to Michael Brown’s death,” Blunt said. “I continue to believe that this is the best possible way to arrive at a transparent explanation that would be largely acceptable to all of those who have been impacted in the community by this tragedy.”
State and local officials have been given a responsibility by the people they work for to get to the bottom of the tragedy, Blunt said.
“While the federal government can assist with that investigation, the federal government should not assume the state and local governments’ responsibilities,” Blunt said.
On Thursday, Blunt said he continued to monitor the “close coordination” between county and federal officials who are investigating the shooting.
“It’s important to remember that this tragedy began when a young man lost his life, and I support local and federal officials in their efforts to conduct open, transparent and parallel investigations into what happened here,” Blunt said. “Michael Brown’s memory, his family and his community are not well-served by more violence.”