The Rev. Al Sharpton pressed police Tuesday to release the name of the officer who fatally shot an unarmed black teenager in suburban St. Louis, and he pleaded for calm after two nights of violent protests over the young man's death.
Police said death threats prompted them to withhold the name of the officer, who was placed on administrative leave after fatally shooting 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, where the incident has stoked racial tension, rallies and a night of looting.
"The local authorities have put themselves in a position -- hiding names and not being transparent -- where people will not trust anything but an objective investigation," Sharpton said during a news conference in St. Louis where he was joined by Brown's parents.