Ferguson police chief resigns following Justice Department's report

Ferguson police chief Tom Jackson resigned Wednesday, after a federal report pointed out a culture of racism within the police department and municipal offices in the Missouri town.

Jackson said in an interview with local media that he felt it was time for the city to move on. He said an interim chief will be appointed from within the department.

Jackson said in his resignation letter that it has been an honor and a privilege to serve Ferguson and to serve the people, adding that he will continue to assist the city as a private citizen.

A press conference about his resignation will be held later Wednesday afternoon.

Ferguson, which is in the suburbs of St. Louis, a city in the U. S. state of Missouri, has been at the center of racial tensions nationwide since Darren Wilson, a white police officer, shot and killed Michael Brown, an unarmed black 18-year-old, last year.

A Department of Justice report released one week earlier found systematic racism within the Ferguson Police Department. U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder warned last week the DOJ reserves the rights to force immediate change in Ferguson policing and court practice.

On Tuesday, the city manager of Ferguson John Shaw stepped down after the City Council voted 7 to 0 to approve a "mutual separation agreement" with John Shaw, according to Mayor James Knowles. Enditem