After calling Mike Brown memorial 'pile of trash,' Ferguson police spokesman let go

A makeshift memorial is seen near the site where unarmed teen Michael Brown was shot dead in Ferguson, Missouri (Reuters / Adrees Latif)

Breaking news: unacceptable behavior by police continues in the town where a police officer shot an unarmed black kid dead, and was not charged with any crime for the killing.

A spokesman for the Ferguson, Missouri police department has been placed on unpaid leave “after initially denying, then admitting” that he referred to a memorial for slain black teen Michael Brown as a “pile of trash” to a Washington Post reporter. What an asshole.

“I don’t know that a crime has occurred,” Officer Timothy Zoll told the Washington Post’s Jose A. DelReal last Friday. “But a pile of trash in the middle of the street? The Washington Post is making a call over this?”

Zoll inititally denied making the statement but later admitted to the remarks and to misleading his superiors when confronted on the issue, the city said in a statement Saturday night.
The memorial, a collection of flowers, stuffed animals, balloons and other objects, took shape on Canfield Road, where Brown was shot. Residents have been creating a new one on the same spot.

Zoll is being placed on unpaid leave while disciplinary proceedings begin, according to the statement.

Ken Kendricks Jr., a nearby resident, puts his hands together in prayer at a makeshift memorial at the site where unarmed teen Michael Brown was shot dead in Ferguson, Missouri Aug. 22, 2014. Reuters/Adrees Latif