Jim Young/Reuters
The Justice Department is expected to release a report as early as this week alleging that police in Ferguson, Missouri, use racial bias when making traffic stops, disproportionately ticketing black people, and using those fines to balance the city budget, The New York Times reported Sunday. Citing several officials who were briefed, the Times reports the probe accuses Ferguson police of making discriminatory stops, which added to the mounting racial tension that led to an officer shooting an unarmed black teenager last summer. The city rose to the international spotlight last August when police officer Darren Wilson shot and killed Michael Brown, an unarmed black 18-year-old, sparking outrage and accusations of racism and excessive police force. Ferguson officials will face a lawsuit on civil-rights charges or work to negotiate a settlement with the Justice Department.