As protesters and police in Ferguson, Missouri continued to clash over the death of Michael Brown, the unarmed black teenager shot to death by a police officer on August 9, Rep. Lacy Clay (D-Mo.) called on federal investigators to secure "equal justice under the law" for Brown's family.
In an interview airing on CREDO and We Act Radio's livestream amid protests Saturday evening, Clay said he had little faith in local law enforcement to conduct a fair and thorough investigation of Brown's death.
"I have absolutely no confidence in the Ferguson police, the county prosecutor," Clay said. "We know we won't get a fair shake there."
Clay criticized police for a releasing a video allegedly showing Brown robbing a convenience store shortly before he was killed. According to CNN, the Justice Department had asked local law enforcement to keep the recording private.
"That's why they did what they did today, was to negatively influence a jury pool in St. Louis County," Clay said. "Just to assassinate Michael Brown's character is wrong. He was already assassinated, so now you're going to assassinate his character? What kind of human being are you?"
He continued: "It's personal too. I'm raising a 13-year-old son in this community and he nor anyone else should have to live under a double standard with the law. We have to change the policing in this community."
Watch the interview above.
Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon also spoke out against the release of the video, telling ABC News he and his staff were not aware of the decision to do so.
"We certainly were not happy with that being released, especially in the way that it was," Nixon said. "It appeared to cast dispersions on a young man that was gunned down in the street. It made emotions raw."
CORRECTION: An earlier headline incorrectly quoted Clay's remarks on having "no confidence" in local police. The headline has been amended.