Darren Wilson, the white cop who fatally shot unarmed black teen Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., decided to quit after he learned of threats against him, his lawyer revealed Sunday.
“I have been told that my continued employment may put the residents and police officers of the City of Ferguson at risk, which is a circumstance I cannot allow,” Wilson wrote to the department. “It is my hope that my resignation would allow the community to heal.”
He did not receive any severance package, according to Ferguson Mayor James Knowles.
As protesters angry about the grand jury decision to not indict Wilson continued to disrupt the city, five members of the NFL’s St. Louis Rams walked onto the gridiron with the “Hands up, don’t shoot” gesture used by demonstrators. The signal, based on witness claims that Brown had his hands up when he was shot and killed, made a second appearance when the Rams scored their first touchdown. All five participating teammates — Tavon Austin, Kenny Britt, Stedman Bailey, Jared Cook and Chris Givens — are black.
Meanwhile, police diverted traffic outside the stadium because of protesters. A Rams spokesman said the team was not aware the gesture had been planned before the game.
It was a far cry from the hopeful image out of Portland, Ore., where a now-famous photo of a white police officer embracing a weeping black boy was taken earlier this week.
The emotional image of Sgt. Bret Barnum hugging 12-year-old Devonte Hart has spread like wildfire across the Internet and became a symbol of optimism amid the chaos.
“What I learnt from 12yr old Devonte Hart . . . When hate suffocates the air, let love be your only option!” Twitter user @africatrina wrote.
Also Sunday, the Rev. Al Sharpton spoke at the Friendly Temple Missionary Baptist Church in St. Louis, where he cheered on protesters who have looted and burned Ferguson.
“They’re doing right by protests,” Sharpton said. “Let a federal grand jury read the transcript … we lost a round, but the fight ain’t over.”
The Justice Department is conducting a separate civil rights investigation into the shooting.
With Post Wire Services