By John Eligon

The city manager of Ferguson, whom a Department of Justice report blamed as one of the officials responsible for much of the questionable conduct by the police and the courts here, has agreed to resign.

The announcement came during a City Council meeting here on Tuesday, about a week after the scathing Justice Department report.

The manager,

(John Shaw / KSDK)

, 39, had held the post since 2007. As Ferguson’s chief executive, he is the city’s most powerful official.

The resignation was announced about 30 minutes into the Council meeting, with members voting 7 to 0 to approve a “mutual separation agreement” with Mr. Shaw.As people in the packed Council chamber began to understand what was happening, a buzz shot through the room as onlookers mumbled and a few let out muted cheers.

“We appreciate John’s service and commitment to the City of Ferguson for the past eight years,” Mayor James Knowles III said in a written statement. “The City Council and John Shaw feel that this is the appropriate time to move forward as we begin our search for a new city manager.”

Read More Ferguson City Manager Cited in Justice Department Report Resigns – NYTimes.com.