Ferguson officer Darren Wilson in talks to resign from police force, sources say

[madfloridian]

Source: CNN

Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson, who shot and killed teenager Michael Brown on August 9, is in the final stages of negotiations with city officials to resign, according to people close to the talks.

Wilson maintains he hasn't done anything wrong, and the resignation talks have hinged on whether a grand jury returns an indictment against him in the death of Brown, people close to the talks said.

Wilson has told associates he would resign as a way to help ease pressure and protect his fellow officers. Wilson has expressed concern about resigning while the grand jury was hearing evidence for fear it would appear he was admitting fault.

Ferguson chief: 'I can see this through'
Police families fear for their safety

Wilson could announce as soon as Friday his plans to resign, the same day a St. Louis County grand jury meets to deliberate and possibly decide on an indictment.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/20/us/darren-wilson-future/

---

Sounds to me like he is sounding a bit like a victim, trying to paint a sympathetic face on his resignation. I say it's about damn time he resigned.

[abelenkpe]

1. Resign? Should be in jail.... Nt

[Electric Monk]

14. +1

[Delphinus]

106. My thoughts too n/t

[DRoseDARs]

2. Seeing as Anonymous is closing in on directly connecting him to the MO KKK...

eom

[madfloridian]

6. Interesting...link

You could be right. Something's going on soon.

https://twitter.com/Operation_KKK

[Dawson Leery]

3. If acquitted, he can never work in the region again.

He should never work in law enforcement again.

[RKP5637]

4. Neither should the chief of police and a bunch of them! They took a bad situation and

turned it into a really bad situation. They, including the governor, were all amateurs.

[loyalsister]

16. Not so

STL county has a horrible policy of allowing police officers to jump from precinct to precinct. When they start at a new one, they have a clean slate no matter the circumstances.

[Hoppy]

33. Being acquited also does not mean, not guilty.

[Hoppy]

34. -removed as duplicate

[heaven05]

41. right

show some respect for the fair and balanced justice system some people of privilege have. And some do respect that biased and racially arbitrary system, no doubt.

[SoCalMusicLover]

43. Perhaps You Are On Wrong Website

This is Democratic Underground. I guess you joined today so you could express an opinion in direct contradiction to just about everyone here.

If you want to defend this P I G, perhaps you should do so elsewhere.

[GGJohn]

50. Ahhh, so posting an opinion that doesn't walk in lockstep with the majority

means one doesn't belong here?
So, all you want is an echo chamber? Don't think this is what the Admins envisioned here.

[Sheldon Cooper]

54. You "don't think that is what the Admins envisioned here"?

You joined here two months ago. I understand this website was started in 2001. Do you think you should comment on something that happened 13 years before you joined?

By the way, if you want big steaming piles of right wing nonsense, there's a website called Discussionist that should meet your needs.

[GGJohn]

55. So what if I joined just 2 months ago, what's that got to do with my comment?

[Lurks Often]

68. Did I miss the notice appointing you the thought police here?

Could you possibly forward that to me?

[GGJohn]

57. I've been reading DemocraticUnderground for several years before

deciding to join up, I've seen it go from a very thoughful, thought provoking site to what it is today, so sad as it was a wonderful place to discuss events in a calm manner.
Not sure how much longer I'm going to stick around.
Being newbies with somewhat different opinions means we'll get attacked by the purist police.
Good luck.

[GGJohn]

64. I'm guessing from your comment that you're not in good health?

If so, my condolences and hope for you to get better.

[uppityperson]

72. I am curious what 2 posts of yours have been hidden by juries since you joined.

Was just looking at your profile and noticed so was wondering if you'd share? Thanks.

[Feral Child]

46. Nit-picking.

Most of us aren't jurists. Factually, failure of a Grand Jury to produce a true bill almost always is essentially an acquittal, since few prosecutors will pursue charges once a Grand Jury chooses not to indict.

Show some respect for the organization you've just joined. Pedantry and condescending attacks on fellow DUers is not a very good introduction and argues for a very short membership.

BTW, your clause".... Anyway being acquitted does not mean guilty." Is just more impolite, purposeful misunderstanding. Clearly Dawson Leery meant "Even if acquitted..." The rest of realize the "Even" was understood and was not necessary for clarity. Prizing apart the postings of respected members in order to castigate typos is not going to win any arguments for you.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

5. If he expects to be set for life than give him deluxe accommodations in the greybar hotel.

[global1]

7. Since When Can Someone Negotiate To Resign?......

Don't you just resign your job. WHat's with this negotiation?

[LeftyMom]

15. I expect that means he'll want to be paid to go away.

Otherwise he could sue for stress and blah blah and win a tidy sum. The John Pike, UC Davis pepper spray cop, did that out here and won $38K.

[Hoppy]

35. He can negotiate unused sick pay, terms of recommendation to prospective employers,

vacation days and other similar aspects of his employment..

[Plucketeer]

52. If I were this guy

my resignation negotiations would revolve around a new identity and some plastic surgery.

[XemaSab]

61. Starting with the ears

[Independent_Liberal]

8. Could this be because he thinks he's at risk of being indicted?

Most seem to think there will be no indictment. I still think that's how it will play out, but if something unforeseen happens that changes everything, I would be pleasantly surprised.

[madfloridian]

11. Read the 2nd post at this link by Anon.

https://twitter.com/Operation_KKK

[calimary]

18. Hmmm.... that was my immediate reaction - wonder if he's working out some deal.

You resign, we won't indict. ? He's a police officer around whom they've circled the wagons and tried very hard to protect. They've tried very hard to hide him, cover for him, manipulate all the proceedings - apparently he was allowed to see all the statements and evidence and EVERYTHING before ever having to submit his own report, so who knows how well and how thoroughly he was able to strategically tailor his responses to grand jury questioning in order to cover his ass?

In any event, he has NO business returning to that police force and out onto the streets of Ferguson again, EVER. Talk about stirring up bad juju in the community! That police chief - "if he's acquitted he'll be back on duty" - is utterly mental! Darren Wilson has no business in ANY police or law enforcement position, and he certainly shouldn't be allowed to take any other job that allows him access to firearms! Armed guards, whatever. God I hope not!!!!

[TBF]

62. Probably not -

he probably wants to move and get a job somewhere else. He's probably afraid for his own safety. But I doubt this grand jury is going to put him in jail where he belongs.

[Baclava]

9. 'Set me up in a nice condo on a beach somewhere and I'll disappear'

/sign here

[blackspade]

10. Sounds to me like he is going to walk on the potential charges.

So he is cashing out while he can.

I am also loathing this department and community 'under siege' narrative being peddled by the media.

[madfloridian]

12. Getting curious about the message Anon KKK is posting for Ferguson within hour.

https://twitter.com/Operation_KKK/status/535658704792993792

[starroute]

13. That was posted 49 minutes ago

So it's down to 11 minutes and counting - 1 am EST.

[branford]

19. Still waiting . . .

[Hulk]

17. How he could not be indicted would blow my mind!

They had better come back with an indictment, just for the sake of the whole community. If they don't, I can't blame the people for putting up massive demonstrations that could easily turn ugly, thanks to agitators AND the brutal police fascists...I mean force.

[Oktober]

20. Indict for the sake of the community!?

Legal standards out the window because a group might get angry otherwise?

You ever hear of ethics?

[msanthrope]

21. You sound concerned. nt

[Oktober]

22. You sound like you think there should be exceptions to rule of law...

... Because some folks think they want it.

[noiretextatique]

98. but there are

zimmerman is a perfect example.

[Oktober]

100. In what way?

How was he punished to sate the appetite of the masses?

Zimmerman is the worst example because so many think that he was guilty and he was let off within the bounds of our legal system to be a free man.

[noiretextatique]

101. i am sure you believe that

but he successfully used the racist stereotype of the scary black male, which is a perfectly fine excuse that works within the bounds of our legal system. once again, the VICTIM was put on trial, not the perpetrator.

[Oktober]

102. Oh, I thought you wanted to talk about the law...

Which part of what you described is illegal?

Which part should be illegal?

[noiretextatique]

103. you have the luxury of believing in "the law"

because it works for you. i don't. what good the the law when racist jurors can decide to ignore it? you can bring up OJ...now .

[Oktober]

104. That's my point...

Which laws are they ignoring? Name them...

Oh... You mean it's just your opinion that these judges and juries should have decided something different than you would have given similar information? Well... That certainly is fascinating but I don't think crosses the boundary into illegal...

[Hulk]

23. "Legal standards"?

Based on the facts that seem rather apparent, I'd say "ethics" is not even in question on the issue. If you base an indictment on the facts, and if even half the information available to the public stands up in court as fact, I'd say it would be an indictable offense. "Ethics", in this case would be contingent on the evidence and whether the legal system supporting the police force is going to abide by the same legal standards as the rest of the community.

[Oktober]

25. Own up to what you said...

You said indict for the sake of the community which is bullshit.

[Live and Learn]

26. Grand Juries and Prosecutors rarely follow legal standards

when it comes to indicting police officers. That is a known fact.

[czarjak]

24. If he gets away with this....

Who gets shot next?

[leftynyc]

29. Your very first sentence

is what's wrong with your entire post. Nobody believes if Mr. Brown and his friend were white and walking down the street, this would have happened. The cops already said Mr. Wilson did not know about the robbery when he stopped. The police NEVER mentioned the robbery to Mr. Brown and his friend according to ANY of the witnesses so that's nothing but bullshit. I'm not one to say something is racist just because it could be. It really does seem to be the problem here. And let's not forget, robbery punishment does not include the death penalty.

Edited to add: We also cannot forget the fact it took at least 2 weeks before a police report on the shooting was done - something that is required much earlier. And the one released was so heavily redacted and major parts weren't filled in at all. The police handled this horribly and I can't help but think it was because they wanted what the report said to fit into whatever lie Officer Wilson told them.

[JustAnotherGen]

30. Thanks for your thoughts

No worries - Michael Brown will be forgotten in a few days and it will be BAU in the USA.

[logosoco]

31. In a sense, wilson most certainly targeted Brown.

It happens all the time. Look at the rates black people are stopped compared to whites, just in that community.
In suburban St. Louis, cops probably don't look twice at young men walking in the street, if they're white. (I am basing this on the fact that I was white and I grew up there in the 70s).

I hate that that is going on anywhere. Everyone should.

In your post it sounds like you don't believe wilson could have reached for Brown if he was in the car, then I assume you don't believe Brown could have gone for his weapon?

[GeorgeGist]

36. Racist POS ...

Is what I think of Darren Wilson and his fans.

[uppityperson]

73. Are you "Darren Wilson and his fans" since that is who he said was racist POS?

Maybe you missed the message text, only reading the title of the reply?

[SoCalMusicLover]

40. Your Second DU Post

Welcome To DU!!

So, for your 2nd post, you have decided to more or less defend Wilson.

But I'm sure you're a longtime reader, who just decided to join and post now, so you could take a side contrary to just about everyone here at DU.

I'm surprised you didn't use the word "thug." Any more bright defenses you care to offer for this esteemed officer who was just doing his job?

[Kali]

51. how fair of you

you are misunderstood yet want us to respect the justice system? do you think it is fair to the poor or people of color?

[brendan120678]

79. Don't worry too much about it...

newbies here are almost always treated poorly, no matter what they post.

Welcome to DU, hope you get your post count up and enjoy it here!

[uppityperson]

84. Before you can self delete again, here is what you wrote. Yes, they can be seen.

Wow

Your "thug" comment is stereotyping me. The type of things you are against. Apparently only when it fits your beliefs. You seem like an awful person.

[tenderfoot]

86. That obvious ----- got past on of DU many sympathetic juries.

[uppityperson]

87. Naw, they are posting, then self deleting too fast for juries. Oh MIRT!

[tenderfoot]

88. I juried one. Choose to hide... here's what the others had to say...

Juror #1 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: What the hell is wrong with that post?? This seems like a mirt member on a hunt to get rid of a low post count poster. Please stop this, and read the actual message. This is in no way disruptive, hurtful, rude, insensitive, OTT or otherwise inappropriate. HARD Leave.
Juror #2 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #3 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #4 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: There's absolutely NOTHING in this post that warrants a hide.
Ridiculous alert.
Juror #5 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: This one is way too obvious.
Juror #6 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #7 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given

This place has so been assimilated...

[uppityperson]

89. Do you remember which on it was? some were very nasty. pm is ok if you want

[tenderfoot]

90. No no... this one is getting exposed.

I should have taken a screen shot but the post basically claimed that they have friends that were latino and a family member was married to some one who was black - therefore excluding them from being called a racist.

[uppityperson]

92. I saw that one, am hoping the couple I copy/pasted are enough to show what some were.

[tenderfoot]

94. I hope so too...

but I doubt anything is done about it.

[heaven05]

44. you got to be kidding!

geez

[madfloridian]

45. You sound so confused.

Confused about the facts, confused about my post...I am white, not nearly as confused as you seem to be about racism.

Ferguson police force has a serious problem. They need to fix it.

[Odin2005]

75. Have a nice short stay, you racist POS.

[uppityperson]

83. In case you missed the self deleted posts, here is what they said.

76. Lol you are a disgusting human being to treat me like this.

You have no idea what you're talking about.

78. Maybe you should get off your computer

And hit the gym you fat slob. You are disgustingly obese. Fucking gross

[bklyncowgirl]

32. I predict a book deal and a round on the right wing talk circuit.

This would be followed by a highly compensated job as a consultant or motivational speaker.

[heaven05]

38. probably

as head of his own white supremacist group of rabid garbage dump RWers.

[Cosmocat]

39. Yep

LOTS of money to be made in the conservative circle jerk community, and he has earned his bones.

[heaven05]

37. He'll have another job

somewhere in the ameerikkkan policing system, not to worry. Or if that fails, he'll probably follow in the steps of zimmerman the wannabe pig and like the zimpig, get away with murder again.

[Iamthetruth]

42. Would you want to be his partner

Not me, he is a walking target.

[rock]

47. "...fear it would appear he was admitting fault. "

Yeah, that's it. "It would appear he was admitting fault." While, in fact, you simply murdered the kid.

[Blue_Tires]

49. Am I understanding this correctly?

That Wilson *STILL* to this day has not submitted an official report of the incident? (or did he submit one and it wasn't released to the public for some unknown reason?)

So he can just resign from the job free and clear, and his only account is the highly disputed testimony he gave to the grand jury?

[Travelman]

58. Do you SERIOUSLY want cops to write reports on themselves?

Really?


So, when a cop rear-ends you in traffic, he can just write up the report saying that you backed into him?



People really have not thought this one through. There's a REASON he hasn't written a report: HE'S NOT SUPPOSED TO.

[Blue_Tires]

60. I thought police officers had to write their own reports of shootings, arrests, etc. as SOP??

Here's an example of a previous incident report Wilson wrote:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/246727189/Ferguson-police-incident-report-Darren-Wilson-arrests-Mike-Arman

For matters of prosecution and transparency, it is essential for cops to write incident reports of all the facts, eyewitness/victim accounts and the procedures the cops followed ASAP -- It does no good to write the report days later or weeks later...Otherwise it would be damn near impossible to ever convict anyone...

And in this case, a report is needed so there is an "official" account of the events which would hold up to scrutiny in the one-in-a-billion chance that Wilson is actually telling the truth...Otherwise, the official story would rightly get torn apart pretty easily...

With no report from Wilson, it's pretty easy to fudge or change details whenever it's convenient, since the public and media by nature have very short memories and attention spans...And there is growing evidence that's what the Ferguson PD has been doing...

[Travelman]

67. Sure, when he's conducting an arrest of SOMEONE ELSE.

That's wildly different than when he is the one who was involved somehow. That's why they always get some third party to do the investigation.

People "investigating" themselves can just put whatever they want in a report and that's that.

The "official" account, in this case, was taken by the St. Louis County PD, who were called to the scene immediately after the shooting to take over the investigation. County PD took Wilson's statement, asked him questions, did the forensics, etc. Ferguson PD did not do any of the investigating of the shooting. As such, Wilson would not be filing a report with Ferguson PD, other than perhaps some cursory notation that he encountered Brown, a shooting occurred, and that the entire matter was immediately turned over to County PD for investigation.

[Blue_Tires]

69. ok...I found the Ferguson and County PD reports

They've just redacted everything out, so they might as well not exist...

and this question has come up on DU before:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=5827320

[sendero]

53. Talks?

What "talks"? He can send a letter that says "I resign".

Why the "talks" bullshit? Sounds like more attempt to sway events.

[Lurks Often]

71. They are negotiating things like cashing out unused sick and vacation days,

continuation of medical benefits, pension and any other benefits one would normally get with a government job.

I don't think it has anything to do with whether or not he gets indicted by the grand jury. Wilson recognizes that regardless of what the grand jury comes back with, a future with the Ferguson police is probably not in his or the police department's best interests.

[sendero]

81. Most of these things..

... are a matter of policy, not of negotiation.

[Lurks Often]

96. Under normal circumstances, yes it is a matter of policy

but these aren't normal circumstances.

Presuming he is not indicted by the Grand Jury, the Ferguson police have to give him his job back since nothing the PD has stated or leaked so far suggested Wilson violated department policy to a degree warranting him being fired. However I doubt Wilson or Ferguson PD are really willing to see him out on uniformed patrol again.

Can't promote him, can't fire him and can't assign him desk duty for the rest of his career, so they are working out some sort of agreement that gets Wilson enough money to start over somewhere else in 6 months or so and Ferguson PD gets rid of an officer, rightly or wrongly, that will remain a public affairs nightmare.

[Sancho]

91. question though...

If he resigns before he's charged with a crime, does that get him benefits? Maybe once he's charged, he can be fired...I really don't know.

[Lurks Often]

95. I doubt the police union will allow him to be fired unless he is convicted

My thoughts are that he if he is not indicted, he'll choose to retire from Ferguson PD because while they can't fire him if he didn't do anything wrong, neither is he and probably the PD willing to have him back out on uniformed patrol.

Since there are no indications to date that even remotely suggest he would be fired for cause, quitting before he knows if he is indicted by the Grand Jury wouldn't seem to benefit him at all

[noiretextatique]

99. the answer is: YES

if he resigns, he is entitled to all accrued vacation, for certain. sick time...that depends on the city's policy. many private companies have a "use it or lost it" sick pay policy, but i am not sure about government entities.

[arcane1]

93. Makes sense. He'd never be respected as a cop again anyway.

I imagine people getting pulled over by him are all going to give him hell. I would!

[SunDrop23]

97. Makes me think he is going to walk (nfm)

[SoCalMusicLover]

105. Of Course He's Going To Walk

The prosecutor does not want him indicted, never has.

This was just a delay tactic from the beginning. Now they can urge calm and peace so it will all blow over and things can go back to the normal they have always been in Ferguson.

[blkmusclmachine]

107. I wonder what his compensation package would look like. Sweet, I bet...