Polygraph

The Department of Justice released a report stating that the Ferguson Police Department violates the Constitution and federal law with a pattern of racial bias, unreasonable force, and intentional discrimination.

Posted by The Daily Show: Ears Edition, Checked

Polygraph verdictTrue
Sources
6 support1 context
Said
1 time·
Confidence
95%
The Daily Show: Ears EditionAug 28, 2026
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The DOJ's March 4, 2015 Ferguson report, a primary source, found a pattern or practice of conduct that routinely violates the Constitution and federal law, driven by racial bias, excessive force, and intentional discrimination, and several independent outlets reported the same findings. The extraction drops the post's 'routinely' and 'mistreatment of detainees' without changing the core claim.

What was said

… For instance, two weeks ago, Justice Department released a report on the Ferguson, Missouri, Police Department shooting of Michael Brown, basically exonerating Officer Darren Wilson and debunking the hands up, don't shoot narrative. And then they released a second DOJ report stating that the Ferguson Police Department routinely violates the Constitution and federal law with a pattern of racial bias, unreasonable force, intentional discrimination, and mistreatment of detainees, wrongs borne disproportionately by African Americans. But on Fox, you're going to love this: despite their 24 hour schedule, they really only had time for the one report. The DOJ now admitting hands up, don't shoot never happened. …
The Daily Show: Ears Edition · · from the transcriptPost →

What we found

Supports. The DOJ's own announcement states the Ferguson Police Department engaged in a pattern or practice of conduct that violates the First, Fourth, and 14th Amendments, and that this conduct routinely violates the Constitution and federal law.[3]

Supports. The DOJ found the police and court practices reflected and exacerbated racial bias, with harms borne disproportionately by African Americans and evidence of intentional discrimination.[3][5][6]

Supports. Independent outlets (AP, NPR, Newsweek, Bloomberg Law) reported the report's findings of a pattern of racial bias, excessive force, and intentional discrimination by Ferguson police.[1][4][5][6]

Supports. A later Reuters piece describes the DOJ report as finding a racially biased approach and cites the consent decree that followed in 2016.[2]

Context. The report's finding of excessive force is documented, with 88 percent of recorded uses of force against African Americans from 2010 to August 2014 (Vox).[7]

Sources

7 sources: 2 fact-checkers, 1 primary, 2 tier 2, 2 not rated

  1. 1Officials: US report finds racial bias in Ferguson policeapnews.com · fact-checker · cited for: supports
  2. 2Seven years after Ferguson investigation, Missouri police still resist reformsreuters.com · fact-checker · cited for: supports
  3. 3Justice Department Announces Findings of Two Civil Rights ...justice.gov · primary source · cited for: supports
  4. 4DOJ Report Reveals Pattern Of Racial Discrimination By Ferguson ...npr.org · tier 2 · cited for: supports
  5. 5Ferguson Police, Courts Violated Minorities’ Civil Rights, Justice Department Saysnewsweek.com · not rated · cited for: supports
  6. 6Ferguson, Mo. Cops and Court on Hot Seat Thanks to 'Searing' Dept ...news.bloomberglaw.com · not rated · cited for: supports
  7. 7Read the full, shocking Department of Justice report on racism ... - Voxvox.com · tier 2 · cited for: context

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