Maxine Waters, a St. Louis native, to attend Michael Brown’s funeral

Reporting from Ferguson, Mo. —  U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters will travel to her hometown of St. Louis on Monday to attend the funeral of Michael Brown, the unarmed 18-year-old black man killed by a white police officer two weeks ago.

Waters, whose district spans much of South Los Angeles, said that she had followed the events surrounding Brown’s death very closely and that she was reminded of police shootings that have taken place in the Los Angeles area.

“I have been in contact with some of the elected officials and community leaders in the St. Louis area and join with the overall community in calling for justice for Michael Brown,” Waters said in a statement.

The recent police shooting of Ezell Ford, a mentally ill man, in South Los Angeles has sparked anger from some in the community and coincides with Brown’s death.

Since the Aug. 9 shooting of Brown, protesters in Ferguson have marched, demanding justice and calling for charges to be filed against the Ferguson police officer who killed him, Darren Wilson.

On Wednesday, U.S. Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr. traveled to Ferguson and later said the Justice Department would investigate whether Brown’s civil rights were violated.

A grand jury is currently reviewing evidence and will decide whether to indict Wilson, who shot Brown six times, according to a preliminary autopsy.

Waters will be among a wide array of state and national politicians, along with civil rights activists, who have said they would be attending Brown’s funeral at the Friendly Temple Missionary Baptist Church in St. Louis.

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