As communities across the country express outrage over the grand jury decision not to indict Darrell Wilson for the killing of Michael Brown, and the officer who killed Eric Garner, another relevant case from the Ferguson area is proceeding to trial that’s gives important context. Sylvester Caldwell, the Mayor of Pine Lawn, a neighboring town to Ferguson has been indicted on federal charges of extortion. The following is a video from Pine Lawn and Ferguson residents describing the political corruption in these small municipalities that allowed for the racially targeted police violence to fester. The footage was captured when De-Bug/ACJP producers were in the Ferguson area just two weeks before the shooting death of Michael Brown. For more context regarding wrongful arrests in North St.Louis County, please read the report released by our friends at the ArchCity Defenders.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhgyHFLw0sM w=600&h=550]