Ferguson Police Probe Finds Pattern Of Bias

A US Justice Department investigation has found patterns of racial bias in the police department in Ferguson, Missouri, officials said.

The findings follow a months-long probe launched in the wake of the fatal shooting of an unarmed black teenager Michael Brown by a white officer.

An official report is expected to be released as soon as Wednesday.

The investigation found that officers in the St Louis suburb disproportionately used excessive force against blacks and too often charged them with petty offences, law enforcement officials told the AP news agency.

It also found that black people were 68% less likely to have their cases dismissed by a municipal court judge.

The report alleges direct evidence of racial bias among police officers and court workers, an official told AP.

Among the findings included in the report is a racially tinged 2008 email recovered from a municipal account that said President Barack Obama would not win a second term because "what black man holds a steady job for four years".

Ferguson has been at the centre of nationwide calls for better police accountability since the fatal shooting of Mr Brown in August.

His death and the subsequent decision not to file charges against the officer who killed him sparked weeks of unrest around the country.

On Monday, President Obama urged police departments across the US to make changes that can build trust in minority communities.

He also announced findings from a White House-appointed task force that called for independent investigations when police use deadly force.

The Justice Department has conducted roughly 20 broad civil rights investigations of police departments during the tenure of Attorney General Eric Holder.

Most of those investigations ended with the police department agreeing to changes its practices.