now nearly seven months have passed since the shooting death of 18-year-old michael brown in ferguson, missouri. that tragic incident provoked widespread demonstrations and stirred really strong emotions from those in the ferguson area and around our nation. it also prompted a federal investigation by the united states department of justice with the criminal section of our civil rights division the united states attorney's office for the eastern district of missouri as well as the fbi. seeking to determine whether this shooting violated federal civil rights law. now, the promise that i made the promise that i made when i went to ferguson and at the time we launched our investigation was not that we would arrive at a particular outcome. but rather that we would pursue the facts wherever they led. our investigation has been both fair and rigorous from the start. it has proceeded independently of the local investigation that