Missouri governor supports releasing name of officer who shot Michael Brown

Missouri Governor Jay Nixon said Thursday that the name of the police officer who shot and killed Michael Brown should be released to the public.

“I would hope that the appropriate release of that name with the security around it if necessary to make sure that there’s not additional acts of violence be done as expeditiously as possible,” Nixon said, according to TPM. “I think it would be an important milestone here to get that out as expeditiously as possible.”

Police say they are withholding the name to protect the officer’s safety. Critics say not releasing the name shows the investigation isn’t being carried out in a transparent manner.

To learn more about the situation in Ferguson, read Vox’s explainer.