Justice Dept., Ferguson Nearing Agreement On Better Policing

Published December 17, 2015 at 1:06 PM EST

Demonstrators, marking the one-year anniversary of the shooting of Michael Brown, protest along West Florrisant Street on August 10, 2015 in Ferguson, Missouri. Brown was shot and killed by a Ferguson police officer on August 9, 2014. His death sparked months of sometimes violent protests in Ferguson and drew nationwide focus on police treatment of black suspects. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Negotiations between the Department of Justice and the city of Ferguson, Missouri over policing improvements following the death of Michael Brown last year are “productive,” according to DOJ officials, and there’s hope an agreement could soon be released publicly. City officials are reportedly objecting to the cost of a federal monitor to oversee better training and record-keeping in the Ferguson police department.

Here & Now’s Eric Westervelt talks with Tory Russell, co-founder of Hands Up United, the protest group that was formed after Michael Brown was shot and killed by a white police officer. Russell discusses his reaction to the news and whether activists have had a voice in the process.

Guest

Tory Russell, co-founder of Hands Up United. He tweets @VanguardTNT.

Host

Eric Westervelt, correspondent for NPR and guest host for Here & Now. He tweets @Ericnpr.