Injured Ferguson police officer wanted to improve department ‘from the inside,’ ex-supervisor says
FERGUSON, Missouri — A black police officer who was seriously injured during a protest marking the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, 10 years ago, wanted to “make a difference from within” the department and follow in the footsteps of his father, who was also a police officer, a former supervisor said Monday.
Agent Travis Brown remained in critical condition in a St. Louis-area hospital on Monday, three days after he was attacked when an otherwise peaceful demonstration turned violent.
“His family is with him every day, every hour,” Ferguson Police spokeswoman Patricia Washington said in an email. “We hope that he continues to grow a little stronger each day.”
Protesters destroyed a fence outside the police station late Friday night, so Police Chief Troy Doyle said he sent officers to make arrests. One of the protesters tackled Travis Brown, knocking him backward, and he hit his head and suffered a serious brain injury, Doyle said.
Travis Brown is not related to Michael Brown, a black 18-year-old who was shot and killed by a white police officer, Darren Wilson, during a brawl on August 9, 2014. Three separate investigations have revealed no grounds to prosecute Wilsonwho resigned in November 2014. But the death of Michael Brown was a pivotal moment for the Black Lives Matter movement, sparking months of often violent protests. It also led to a U.S. Department of Justice investigation research which required anti-discrimination measures to be taken in Ferguson’s police department and courts.
Travis Brown, 36, joined the Ferguson Police Department earlier this year after spending 11 years with the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office. During his time with the county, he served for a time in the Special Response Unit under Lt. Ray Rice.
“Everybody says, ‘Where are all the good cops?'” Rice said. “Travis is one of those people.”
Brown is the father of two young daughters. He is also the son of a retired St. Louis police officer, but despite having a father in law enforcement, he had negative experiences with police as a child, Rice said.
“Every black officer I know has a story about being a victim of police abuse,” Rice said. “For most of us, those encounters are what inspired us to join law enforcement in the first place — to make a difference from the inside out.”
In addition to his regular duties, Rice is vice president of the Ethical Society of Police, which advocates for racial and gender equity in the St. Louis and St. Louis County police departments. This year, he led implicit bias training for officers in Ferguson, and he said every department needs people like Travis Brown.
“The pure motivation for his job wasn’t to arrest people or the excitement of cops and crooks,” Rice said. “It was really to be of service. He’s the type of guy who reads to elementary school kids and actually goes out and interacts with the public.”
The protester accused in the attack, 28-year-old Elijah Gantt of East St. Louis, Illinois, is charged with assault on a specific victim, resisting arrest and property damage. A judge on Monday set a bail hearing for Aug. 19 and a preliminary hearing for Sept. 11. Gantt is being held on $500,000 cash-only bail. He does not yet have a lawyer.
Protesters gathered in Ferguson all day Friday to remember Michael Brown. Police gave them shelter — even blocking the street outside the police station to protect protesters from traffic.
Police did not intervene when protesters began shaking the fence outside the station. But Doyle said that when they tore down a section of the fence, he sent the SWAT team out.
Authorities allege Gantt ran away after attacking Travis Brown and then kicked two other officers who were trying to arrest him, leaving them with scratches and bruises.
Travis Brown’s serious injury drew angry responses from Doyle and several people in Ferguson, a community of about 18,000 people where about two-thirds of the residents are black. Many wondered what the protesters were so angry about, given the changes in Ferguson over the past decade.
In 2014, the department had about 50 white officers and only three black officers. Today, 22 of the 41 officers are black, including Travis Brown.
Officers also now receive regular training on crisis intervention, avoiding bias and other issues. Officers now wear body cameras. Doyle even changed the look of uniforms, patches and badges after residents said the old look was “triggering.”
“What do we do?” an emotional Doyle asked Saturday. “Ten years later, a cop is fighting for his life. Enough is enough and I’m done. We don’t do it here in Ferguson.”
Many residents expressed their feelings in messages on social media.
“What did this officer or his family do to anyone to deserve this!???” one woman posted on the police department’s Facebook page. “This absolutely disgusts me! I’m praying for that officer and his family.”