‘Anonymous’ hacker group releases name of alleged cop who killed Michael Brown, police say name is wrong
The internet hacking group “Anonymous” released on Twitter what they claimed to be the alleged name of the Ferguson, Missouri police officer who shot and killed 18-year-old Michael Brown last weekend.
The group then warned that they will release the officer’s photo, then his address, and next full documents within hours if the St. Louis County Police Department does not respond.
But officials say the name is not that of the officer involved in the shooting.
CBS St. Louis will not identify the person named by Anonymous until it is confirmed by officials. Ferguson Police Chief Thomas Jackson said Wednesday that they will not release the officer’s name due to threats, despite cyber-attacks on the city’s website.
Jackson said someone burrowed into the website and shut it down for much of Monday, two days after Brown was killed. The death has stoked racial tension, protests and a night of looting, along with calls for police to release the officer’s name so his background can be reviewed.
Anonymous had pledged to create mischief with Ferguson’s city computers if the name wasn’t released, and representatives of the group have taken credit for the incident. But Jackson said releasing the information could endanger the officer, who has received numerous death threats.
Jackson said he was unaware whether Anonymous obtained any personal information about police officers from the website.
Ferguson lies about 10 miles northwest of St. Louis. The city has a predominantly black population of roughly 21,000 residents.
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