Tweet spurs probe of possible grand jury leak in Ferguson shooting
A tweet that was quickly deleted on Wednesday is still raising concern in St. Louis County, where grand jurors are considering the case against a Ferguson, Missouri, police officer who shot and killed an unarmed teen.
The Twitter user’s reported knowledge of grand jury evidence has spurred the St. Louis County prosecutor’s office to investigate, report the New York Times and the Washington Post.
The tweet, from an account called @thesusannichols, read: “I know someone sitting on the grand jury. There isn’t enough at this point to warrant an arrest.” The account was deleted after other Twitter users informed the account holder that grand jury proceedings are secret.
St. Louis County prosecutor Robert McCulloch is “looking into” the matter, according to spokesman Edward Magee. Grand jurors are considering whether to indict police officer Darren Wilson, who fatally shot 18-year-old Michael Brown in August, spurring weeks of protests.
Washington University law professor Peter Joy told the Times the grand jury could continue its work even if one member is removed for leaking information. The Post, however, says a different group of grand jurors may have to be empaneled.
