There have been numerous threats against the police in Ferguson, Mo , even though it has been three months since the killing of an unarmed teen named Michael Brown. According to police, the fatal shot was fired by Darren Wilson. According to the Mayor, James Knowles, Darren Wilson was not asked to leave the force.
Wilson reportedly resigned from the Ferguson Police Department on Saturday, just five days after the Grand Jury refused to indict him on the charge of killing Michael Brown. According to Darren Wilson, he felt that continuing his job on the force may increase the danger faced by other police officers who served with him.
According to ABC News , Wilson stated in writing “I have been told that my continued employment may put residence and police officers of the City of Ferguson at risk, which is a circumstance that I cannot allow.”
The mayor stated that since Wilson was not directly asked to leave by one of his superiors, he would not be offered any severance pay or any benefits from the department.
Police Chief Tom Jackson tells NBC News that Ferguson officers have been working in a “threatening environment all along,” when he was asked how the nature of the job had changed since Brown was killed.
Jackson did state that he met with Wilson earlier in the week, but declines asking Wilson to leave the force and will not release any details about the conversation that was held in private quarters. He also states that he did not say anything to cause Darren Wilson to resign. According to Neil Bruntrager , Wilson decided to leave on his own after he was informed by Jackson that the department had received numerous threats related to the Brown killing.
As advised by criminal attorney Arkady Bukh , even though Wilson resigned from his position, it does not change the fact that the grand jury refused to indict him on the charge of killing Brown on August 9, 2014. If new evidence comes to light in the near future, it is possible that Wilson may still be charged in the murder, but current evidence was not enough to successfully prosecute him.
Brown was an 18-year old, unarmed male. His death was enough to ignite conflict and protests across the nation . When the grand jury decision came back, protests and demonstrations started anew.
According to witnesses, Wilson has remained in seclusion since the shooting. He married his fiancé and they are expecting a new baby. Currently, no one knows what the job outlook for a man as negatively publicized as Wilson is, so his future is uncertain.