Ferguson police to release body camera footage of protest where officer was badly hurt

FERGUSON, Mo. — Ferguson Police Chief Troy Doyle will release body camera footage from a protest that turned violent on the 10th anniversary of the death of Michael Brown, resulting in a life-threatening brain injury to a Black police officer, police said.

Doyle and other leaders will speak at a news conference Tuesday in the Missouri town that became synonymous with the national Black Lives Matter movement after Michael Brown was killed by a Ferguson police officer on Aug. 9, 2014. Doyle is expected to provide an update on the investigation of the violence and an update on Officer Travis Brown ‘s condition.

Officer Brown was among a team of officers sent out to make arrests Friday night when protesters began destroying a fence outside police headquarters. Police said one of the protesters, 28-year-old Elijah Gantt of East St. Louis, Illinois, tackled Travis Brown, knocking him backward. He struck his head.

Brown remains hospitalized in critical condition, Ferguson Police spokeswoman Patricia Washington said. Two other officers who chased down Gantt were treated at the scene for minor injuries, police said.

Travis Brown is not related to Michael Brown, a Black 18-year-old who was shot and killed by a white officer, Darren Wilson, during a scuffle on Aug. 9, 2014.

Three separate investigations found no grounds to prosecute Wilson, who resigned in November 2014. But Michael Brown’s death led to months of often violent protests. It also spurred a U.S. Department of Justice investigation that required anti-discrimination changes to Ferguson policing and the courts.

Travis Brown, 36, is the son of a retired St. Louis city police officer and the father of two young daughters. Soon after graduating from college, he joined the St. Louis County Police Department, in 2012. He joined the Ferguson police force in January.

A former supervisor for the St. Louis County department, Lt. Ray Rice, said Travis Brown became a police officer to make a difference.

“Everybody says, ‘Where are all of the good police officers?’” Rice said. “Travis is one of those people.”

Gantt is charged with assault of a special victim, resisting arrest and property damage. A judge on Monday set a bond hearing for Aug. 19 and a preliminary hearing for Sept. 11. Gantt is jailed on a $500,000 cash-only bond. He does not yet have an attorney.

The violence that resulted in Travis Brown’s injury drew an angry response from Doyle and from several people in Ferguson, a community of about 18,000 where roughly two-thirds of residents are Black. Many wondered what protesters were so angry about given the changes in Ferguson over the past decade.

In 2014, the department had around 50 white officers and only three Black officers. Today, 22 of the 41 officers are Black, including Travis Brown.

Officers today also undergo frequent training on crisis intervention, avoiding bias and other areas. Officers now also wear body cameras. Doyle even changed the look of uniforms, patches and badges after residents said the old look was “triggering.”

A prayer vigil was planned for Tuesday evening outside the police station.