Ferguson police spokesman reportedly calls Brown memorial 'trash'.. Police Dept then backtracks..

Ferguson police spokesman reportedly called Brown memorial 'trash,' but department claims misunderstanding

A spokesman for the Ferguson Police Department reportedly called Michael Brown's memorial a "pile of trash," according to a Washington Post blog post Friday.

But the city claims that the spokesman, Officer Timothy Zoll, was misquoted.

"He didn't mean to refer to the memorial as trash, he said the driver may not have known what was there and accidentally drove over what was there," said Jeff Small, a spokesman for the city.

Reports that someone had run over a memorial to Brown with a car started circulating on social media at about 2 a.m. Friday, sparking outrage. Brown supporters quickly rebuilt the makeshift memorial dedicated to the unarmed teenager killed on Aug. 9.

According to the Washington Post blog, Zoll told a reporter: “I don’t know that a crime has occurred ... But a pile of trash in the middle of the street? The Washington Post is making a call over this?”

But Small said Zoll remembered the conversation differently.

"He said, 'Maybe someone thought there was a pile of trash and drove through it,'" Small said.

Zoll denies ever questioning why the Washington Post would be calling to inquire about trash in the street, Small said. He said that the city has contacted the newspaper and is seeking a correction.

Jose A. DelReal, who authored the blog item for the Washington Post, told the Post-Dispatch he quoted Zoll accurately and that no one from the city had contacted him. DelReal said he had tried to reach the police again after hearing about Zoll's explanation, but hasn't had his call returned.

Zoll's alleged comments quickly made the rounds on Twitter.

Brown's memorial occupies two spots in the Canfield Green apartment complex in the Ferguson neighborhood where Brown died nearly six months ago.

One memorial — the one damaged on Friday — sits in the middle of Canfield Drive, where Brown died.

Another sits near a concrete light post along Canfield Drive. That memorial, which included items like stuffed animals and votive candles, burned in September.

Some Brown supporters claimed the fire had been intentionally set. Others suggested the burning candles could have been the cause of the fire. Authorities at the time said the cause of the fire was unknown and under investigation.

Small said that the city is in talks with the Brown family as well as owners of the Canfield Green apartments to find a better location for the memorial so "hopefully instances like this won't happen again."