http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/20/us/darren-wilson-future/index.html
A report by CNN this morning indicates that Darren Wilson is in the “final steps” of resigning from the Ferguson Police Department. While no one objectively expected him to go back to work full-time (with the exception of maybe Tom Jackson), the reason for him to resign at this point doesn’t make a great deal of sense even if there are a lot of people in the community who want this result. For one, if his goal was not to influence the grand jury, the grand jury hasn’t made their final decision yet. For another, I don’t think anyone objectively believes that his lack of employment will calm any protests if he is not indicted.
With that said, I found myself overwhelmed with an intense sense of Deja Vu’ when listening to Evan Perez claiming that he has inside sources within the Ferguson City government. Here’s why:
Dissonant Winston Smith 
The press seems to love to speculate on things based on whatever “sources” they seem to have.
I agree that by rights, Darren Wilson will still have his job if he is not indicted, which is as it should be. Considering how much he has been vilified and hated by protestors suggests that it might be very difficult for him to work in Ferguson, or anywhere else in this area as a policeman without attracted more protestors where ever he happens to be on any given day. Sad!
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I am not endorsing nor claiming knowledge of Wilson’s alleged negotiation of his resignation. However, having spent my professional life working in Human Resources, I’d like to offer my opinion. If the grand jury does not return an indictment, Ferguson Police Department will then be legally obligated to restore him to his previous or similar position. As generally accepted, it would be unwise for Wilson to return. Legally speaking, his failure to return to his previous or similar position would be considered “job abandonment” and cause for termination and possible denial of unemployment benefits. A resignation looks much better on a resume than a termination, regardless if Wilson chooses to remain in law enforcement or pursue an alternate career path. Sadly, I believe resignation is Wilson’s only logical choice for exclusively professional reasons.
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My reading of another article was that Officer Wilson plans to resign if there is no indictment, on the theory that staying on would make it that much harder for the people of Ferguson to move past all this. OTOH, he will not resign (yet) if indicted. Agree that his resignation at some point is inevitable.
On another note, have read this entire blog and have greatly enjoyed it. Balanced, fair, and informative. I have no idea myself whether Officer Wilson was innocent or not (although the leaked evidence certainly tends in that direction), but from the git-go I was appalled at how, now just the media, but his own Governor, and others who should know and understand how the law works, pretty much threw him under the bus, long before sufficient evidence to draw a conclusion could have possibly been collected.
1984 indeed.
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Should the grand jury return with a pronouncement of no indictment, Wilson should retain his job. However, I believe it was reported that there would likely be an internal investigation on his use of deadly force. (Why this can’t be done concurrently with the GJ investigation, I don’t know. Perhaps a fear that such an investigation might influence those on the GJ?) So Wilson could continue either on paid administrative leave or on desk duty during that investigation. He could use that time to look elsewhere for employment. I’m sure he’s going to have to move out of the area, possibly to another state, not for employment but for his and his family’s safety. No matter what the Grand Jury comes back with, there is a segment of the population that wants to see him suffer, to “pay” for Michael Brown’s death. It’s probably in the best interests of the Wilson family that they find a new place to settle.
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And therein lies the rub to this whole affair:
“I’m sure he’s going to have to move out of the area, possibly to another state, not for employment but for his and his family’s safety.”
This is the frame to all the discussions here. In a civilized society we should not have to be concerned about our or our family’s safety should the Grand Jury outcome be different than people had hoped. We are glossing over the fact that Officer Wilson and family are forced out of their home, city and away from family and friends along with jobs. We are treating it as a matter of passing fact, when in reality it should ring loud and clear that not only the picture is askew, the frame is tarnished and moldy.
How can we so blithely let that statement roll from our lips every day? As if it’s normal and expected? What other circumstance would the public assent to such treatment of a citizen who has been found not guilty of a crime? How can we say again and again that the protestors are peaceful and only demonstrating civil disobedience when out of their lips and keyboards fall the words “Who do we want? Darren Wilson. How do we want him? DEAD.”
Today at midday a handful of protestors staged a mock lynching at the Old Courthouse. Perhaps they might look into their own souls and ask why they are perpetuating the same heinous crime to an innocent man* (remember that he is still innocent until proven guilty and the Grand Jury only submits the recommendation that there is enough evidence to charge, not innocence or guilt).
We owe Officer Wilson, his family and friends a great apology for what they have and will endure at the hands of a lynch mob that is aided and abetted by those who SHOULD know the rule of law better than they pretend. The protestors who demand “justice” for Mike Brown seem unable to proffer the same justice for Darren Wilson. Who is the bigot in this charade?
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It really is unfair that someone embroiled in a situation like this will pay consequences even if not guilty of any wrongdoing. Too often people respond to “perception” rather than reality. But it happens. Remember Richard Jewell? He was accused of being the Atlanta Olympics bomber but was since proven innocent. Yet his life was pretty much destroyed. Other cases have resulted in suicides of those who struggled with the aftermath of false accusations.
This kind of situation is the downside of social media. Look at the cell phone videos released of the goings on immediately after the Brown shooting. But more importantly, listen to the commentary and background. Nearly instantly that became the story of the shooting, passed around as truth. The story arc they built was that “Big Mike” was shot in the back because he was walking in the street. Many still believe this is what happened, or that Brown was on his knees when shot. Either way, in their minds, white Officer Wilson shot black “teenager” Michael Brown BECAUSE we was black. The law doesn’t appear to be a consideration. And for that they want Darren Wilson to pay. And the payment they exact affects Wilson’s family. Whatever the outcome, it will be difficult for him to escape his association with Brown’s death, with Ferguson, with the protests and riots. Wilson, for better or worse, has left his mark on history.
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I agree that I don’t trust news reports of this supposed resignation, however I have always assumed that Wilson would resign or find some other means of ending his work in Ferguson. There’s just no way he can safely be a resident in Ferguson, much less do Police work in my opinion.
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