article_snippet: A Department of Justice investigation found patterns of racial bias in the Ferguson police department and at the municipal jail and court.
article_snippet: Critics believe Knowles had to have known about the widespread racial profiling and bias that the Department of Justice report revealed was occurring in both the Ferguson police department and the city's municipal court.
article_snippet: Knowles, a Ferguson native, said the public servant position was merely a ceremonial position until Officer Darren Wilson shot 18-year-old Michael Brown and the city was suddenly thrust in the national spotlight.
article_snippet: After the shooting Knowles and Police Chief Tom Jackson became the public face of Ferguson, holding news conferences, hosting public forums and reaching out to civil rights leaders and protesters.
highlights_snippet: Critics believe Knowles had to have known about the widespread racial  bias in Ferguson's police department and municipal court .
  
highlights_snippet: Instances of lax police oversight, racial profiling and profit-driven court practices were revealed in the  report .
  