Disclaimer: The article contains mentions of death. Reader discretion is advised.
In August 2014, an 18-year-old boy named Michael Brown died after getting shot by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri. Reports suggested that police officer Darren Wilson fatally shot the unarmed boy after having an altercation. The killing of Michael Brown prompted people from the community to stage protests against the authorities. Subsequently, the FBI initiated an investigation into the case and interrogated several people. After investigating the case for almost a month, authorities concluded that Darren Wilson would not face any charges.
CNN reported that the investigation couldn’t prove “beyond a reasonable doubt” that police officer Darren Wilson committed a crime. Citing the statement from St Louis County Prosecuting Attorney, CNN stated, “Although this case represents one of the most significant moments in St. Louis’ history, the question for this office was a simple one. Could we prove beyond a reasonable doubt that when Darren Wilson shot Michael Brown, he committed murder or manslaughter under Missouri law? After an independent and in-depth review of the evidence, we cannot prove that he did.”
The attorney also clarified that this finding doesn’t mean he was exonerated. During his statement, the attorney noted that Darren Wilson could have handled the situation differently. However, that was not something that they were trying to figure out. Per the attorney, he would have to “violate” his ethical rights to charge Wilson for a crime that never “occurred.”
He said, “There are so many points in which Darren Wilson could have handled the situation differently, and if he had, Michael Brown might still be alive. But that is not the question before us. The only question is whether we can prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a crime occurred. The answer to that question is ‘no.’ And I would violate my ethical duties if I nonetheless brought charges.”
Michael Brown’s death: Where is ex-Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson today?
There have been several debates about what happened on August 9, 2014, when an ex-police officer resigned from his job after much pressure. According to CBS News, nearly four months after Michael Brown’s death, Wilson resigned from his job. The outlet mentioned that Wilson resigned out of his “own free will.” However, PBS reported that he decided to quit after the department told him that they were receiving death threats.
“I, Darren Wilson, hereby resign my commission as a police officer with the City of Ferguson effective immediately. 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 that I cannot allow. For obvious reasons, I wanted to wait until the grand jury made their decision before I officially made my decision to resign,” Darren Wilson wrote in his resignation letter.
On the other hand, Wilson hoped that his resignation would allow the community to heal. Meanwhile, in an interview with Local 3 News, Darren Wilson’s lawyer said that Wilson will never be a police officer again. Moreover, he told the outlet that Wilson was now carving a new career path for him. In 2015, The Guardian noted that Wilson and his entire family lived at an undisclosed location in the St. Louis area. However, his current whereabouts are unknown.
Michael Brown’s death devastated his family and the entire community. The autopsy showed that Darren Wilson shot Brown at least six times, with one bullet entering his skull. Meanwhile, the medical report revealed that four bullets hit his right arm, reported The New York Times. Several people gathered and staged protests against authorities, demanding justice. In several instances, protestors and law enforcement officials had violent confrontations. Additionally, thousands of mourners arrived at Brown’s funeral.
