The Ferguson police department spokesman who called slain teen Michael Brown’s memorial a “pile of trash” has been placed on unpaid leave.
On Friday, public relations officer Timothy Zoll told the Washington Post that no crime had been reported in conjunction with the destruction of Brown’s memorial, which residents say was intentionally destroyed by a car early Friday morning. Ferguson residents quickly rebuilt the memorial, which was constructed in remembrance of 18-year-old Brown after he was fatally shot by a police officer in August and has become a gathering place for protesters.
But Zoll told the Post that he wasn’t sure whether the memorial’s destruction was worthy of the Post’s time.
“I don’t know that a crime has occurred,” Zoll said Friday. “But a pile of trash in the middle of the street? The Washington Post is making a call over this?”
At first, Zoll denied making these remarks, but later admitted to police department investigators that he did make them. According to a statement released by the city of Ferguson, the officer also admitted that he “misled his superiors when asked about the contents of the interview.” The comments — and the attempt to deny them — have earned the officer a period of unpaid leave while the department considers disciplinary action.
The city also distanced itself from the officer’s comments in the statement, saying they didn’t reflect the police department’s views on the memorial.
“The City of Ferguson wants to emphasize that negative remarks about the Michael Brown memorial do not reflect the feelings of the Ferguson Police Department and are in direct contradiction to the efforts of city officials to relocate the memorial to a more secure location,” the statement reads. It went on to emphasize that the “City of Ferguson and the Ferguson Police Department in particular, are focused on creating a trusting relationship with the entire community and taking impactful steps to improve the effectiveness of the department.”
Ferguson also made news this week after a well-known protester was charged with arson and burglary. Police say 19-year-old Josh Williams set multiple fires in and around a QuikTrip in Berkeley, MO and stole less than $500 in cash and merchandise. Ferguson protesters have created the hashtag #FreeJosh to show support for Williams.