Darren Wilson Resigns From The Ferguson Police Department
After a grand jury declined to indict Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson for the shooting of the unarmed 18-year-old Michael Brown, he has decided to resign from the force.
Wilson shot Brown in a heavily contested interaction on August 9 that sparked national protests, international attention and intense discussion about racism and excessive use of force by police in America.
Even before the jury's decision this Monday (November 24), many called for Wilson to leave the force. In his resignation letter submitted on Saturday night (November 29), Wilson cited safety reasons and threats of violence as a factor in his decision.
"It was my hope to continue in police work, but the safety of other police officers and the community are of paramount importance to me," he wrote in the letter. "It is my hope that my resignation will allow the community to heal."
According to The New York Times, news of the letter was first published in The St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Wilson, 28, released the letter through his lawyer Neil J. Bruntrager.
Patricia Bynes, who is a Democratic committeewoman for Ferguson, told the Post-Dispatch that she thinks the resignation is too little, too late.
"It doesn’t even have the same impact that it would have months ago,” she said. “It would have relieved a lot of anger and the pressure in the streets. It’s been almost infuriating to get to this point and nothing has changed. There was no accountability and sense of responsibility for what has happened."
Wilson was on paid administrative leave for approximately three months while a verdict was reached in the case. Wilson is currently married to another officer on the force, Barbara Spalding, 36, and the couple are expecting their first child. He had been an officer with the Ferguson police department since 2011.
Related: Learn More About Racial Bias And Discrimination At LookDifferent.org.
