The grand jury hearing evidence in the Darren Wilson case should reach its decision on whether to indict the Ferguson police officer who shot and killed Michael Brown by “the first or second week of November,” St. Louis County Prosecutor Bob McCulloch told The St. Louis American on Friday.
McCulloch was returning a weeks-old message from the state’s largest African-American newspaper, which only was added to the prosecutor’s media list during the Ferguson protests. McCulloch has been county prosecutor for 24 years. The St. Louis American was founded in 1928.
McCulloch fielded a series of questions of interest to the black community and other observers of the Darren Wilson case, in addition to the question of timing.
Has the video of the contractors reacting to the shooting of Michael Brown been shown to the grand jury? “It will be if it hasn’t.”
Is there any chance he will remove himself from the case? “Legally, the governor had that opportunity under the state of emergency, but he didn’t do anything. Now, for me to recuse myself, there has to be a reason, a legally demonstrated bias or a true conflict of interest. I’ve recused myself before when a relative of an employee was prosecuted.
Many have said because your father was a police officer killed in the line of duty by a black man that you can’t prosecute this case fairly. “That’s basically a bare, unsubstantiated allegation. It’s accurate that my father was a police officer killed in the line of duty by a man who was African-American, but that’s irrelevant. Nothing I have ever done has shown that I am biased against blacks or toward the police. My father’s story is not a secret, yet I’ve been elected seven times since it was known.
Is an African-American woman one of the assistant prosecutors showing evidence to the grand jury? Yes, Kathi Alizadeh. Sheila Whirley, who is not black, is also showing evidence to the grand jury.
Did his long-time political ally U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill help the Washington Post get exclusive interviews with him? “I am sure that’s not true.”
Are reports that Darren Wilson testified to the grand jury true? “I usually say, ‘I’ll neither confirm nor deny,’ but I don’t argue with that report. I regret it was made.”
In Steve Stenger’s campaign ad for county executive, you accused County Executive Charlie Dooley of corruption. If a prosecutor thinks someone is guilty of a crime, why not charge them? “I was careful how I chose my words. ‘Corruption’ can mean doing something illegal or something unethical. I did not accuse Charlie of any criminal activity and I don’t think he is guilty of any criminal activity.
Some democrats have said they won’t vote for Stenger because of your mutual support. Do you think your handling of this case is hurting your party?
“I have to worry about what’s right and wrong. I can’t worry about the politics. When a prosecutor starts worrying about politics, he should be run out of town.”
