News

Ferguson Officer Who Killed Teenager Will Not Return To Police Department

Residents of Ferguson, Missouri and the rest of the country are awaiting a grand jury decision on whether the white officer who fatally shot a black teenager in Ferguson earlier this year will be indicted.

The officer, Darren Wilson, will not return to duty in the Ferguson police department, according to those close to him, the New York Times reported.

Signs indicate a decision will come as soon as this weekend. A nearby school district said it would be closed on Monday and Tuesday, regardless of whether a decision is announced, to avoid unrest. Law enforcement officials, including FBI officials, are preparing for potentially large demonstrations like those that erupted and occasionally turned violent after the shooting in August. The Missouri governor declared a state of emergency ahead of the decision.

Since the fatal shooting of Michael Brown on August 9, there have been many calls for Wilson to resign or be fired. Wilson has been on paid administrative leave since the shooting, and friends say he will not return to the primarily white police department in the predominantly black suburb of St. Louis.

President Obama joined those who are calling for calm ahead of the decision.

[quote text_size=”small” author=”– Barack Obama” author_title=”President of the United States”]

This is a country that allows everybody to express their views. But using any event as an excuse for violence is contrary to rule of law and contrary to who we are.

[/quote]

Wilson is currently in the end stages of negotiations with Ferguson city officials to resign, CNN reported. He has maintained that he did nothing wrong and the resignation discussions have centered on whether he will be indicted.

Wilson said he would resign to reduce pressure on his fellow officers, but expressed concern about resigning while the grand jury is hearing evidence out of fear it will appear he is admitting fault.

The facts of the case are not in dispute. Wilson fatally shot Brown, an unarmed 18-year-old black man, on August 9. Wilson’s supporters claim he fired in self-defense, pointing to witness testimony and leaked grand jury documents that suggest Brown attacked Wilson and there was a struggle for the gun. Brown’s supporters claim he had his hands up in surrender at the time of the shooting.

The city is now “on edge” and scared awaiting the grand jury’s decision, according to attorney Anthony Gray, who is representing the Brown family. Gray said he has received “numerous calls, emails and text messages expressing concern from members of our community about their safety,” ABC News reported.

Click to comment
To Top

Hi - We Would Love To Keep In Touch

If you liked this article then please consider joing our mailing list to receive the latest news, updates and opportunities from our team.

We don't want an impostor using your email address so please look for an email from us and click the link to confirm your email address.