US officer at the heart of Ferguson protests quits

Darren Wilson, the officer who shot Michael Brown in summer and whose charges against him were dropped last week following a grand jury decision, resigned when he learnt of threats against his colleagues.

A protestor wearing a gas mask confronts police during a demonstration in Seatlle, following the decision by the grand jury not to charge the officer who shot Michael Brown. David Ryder/ Reuters

FERGUSON // A white officer resigned from his job with the Ferguson Police Department after learning of threats of violence against other officers and the department, his lawyer said on Sunday.

Darren Wilson, a 28-year-old white officer, had been on administrative leave since August 9, when he shot and killed 18-year-old Michael Brown, who was black and unarmed. A grand jury decision not to indict Mr Wilson was announced on Monday night, setting off massive protests in the predominantly black St Louis suburb of 20,000 residents that included looting, violence and fires that destroyed about a dozen businesses in the Ferguson area. The announcement also led to week-long protests nationwide.

Mr Wilson’s attorney, Neil Bruntrager, said that Mr Wilson decided to step aside after Ferguson Police Chief Tom Jackson personally told him of the threats. Mr Bruntrager declined to go into detail about the alleged threats.

“The information we had was that there would be actions targeting the Ferguson (police) department or buildings in Ferguson related to the police department,” Mr Bruntrager said. He said Mr Wilson and the city were already discussing an exit strategy, acknowledging that staying on as an officer there would be impossible.

Once Mr Wilson learnt of the threats, Mr Bruntrager said, he decided to go ahead and resign.

“Under the circumstances, nothing else was important other than safety,” Mr Bruntrager said.

Mr Wilson, who had been with the department for less than three years, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on Saturday, “I’m not willing to let someone else get hurt because of me.”

Benjamin Crump, an attorney for Brown’s family, said Wilson’s resignation was not a surprise.

“It was always believed that the police officer would do what was in his best interest, both personally and professionally,” Mr Crump said. “We didn’t believe that he would be able to be effective for the Ferguson community nor the Ferguson Police Department because of the tragic circumstances that claimed the life of Michael Brown junior”

Mr Crump said the family is still considering civil litigation such as a wrongful-death lawsuit, “but don’t let that get confused with the fact that they really wanted the killer of their child to be held accountable.”

Mr Wilson’s resignation meant little to activists and protesters.

On Saturday night, more than 100 protesters gathered near Ferguson police headquarters, where they were outnumbered by officers. Two people were arrested. Another protester burned an American flag. By midnight, only about two dozen protesters remained. Many seemed unfazed by Mr Wilson’s resignation. Several merely shrugged their shoulders when asked what they thought.

In Portland, Oregon, police said 10 people were arrested Saturday night “after a large group of protesters laid down in the street and refused lawful orders to clear the roadway.” The nine adults and one juvenile arrested will face charges that include disorderly conduct.

Mr Wilson fatally shot Brown in the middle of a Ferguson street after the two scuffled inside Mr Wilson’s police SUV. Brown’s body was left for more than four hours as police investigated and angry onlookers gathered.

Some witnesses have said Brown had his hands up when Mr Wilson shot him. Mr Wilson told the grand jury that he feared for his life when Brown hit him and reached for his gun.

* Associated Press