Sunday, November 30, 2014

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No Benefits for Ferguson Police Officer Who Resigned - New York Times





FERGUSON, Mo. — Leaders of this beleaguered city said on Sunday that the white police officer who shot an unarmed black teenager in August was no longer an employee of Ferguson and that he would be receiving no pension, severance package or other benefits.


The city leaders said they received a resignation letter from Officer Darren Wilson, who had been largely out of sight since the shooting, on Saturday night after discussions over a matter of weeks. Those close to Officer Wilson had said he did not intend to return to the department after protests, sometimes violent, that followed the shooting of Michael Brown on Aug. 9.


Yet the question of timing was a matter of debate, and Officer Wilson chose not to resign until after a grand jury decided not to indict him in the shooting. Officer Wilson, who is 28 and had worked at the Ferguson department since 2011, was not vested in the pension plan. He had been on paid administrative leave since August.



Officer Wilson, who has been a focus of protests here, cited the safety of other police officers and the safety of the community among his reasons for stepping down.



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Here’s what you need to know about the situation in Missouri, including information about how the grand jury made its decision.




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City officials said the resignation became effective on Saturday, though they said they learned about the letter of resignation through reports in the news media several hours before they received it.


As he announced Officer Wilson’s departure, Mayor James Knowles III said he saw an opportunity to chart the next steps for this small St. Louis suburb, which was battered last week by looting and fires that followed the grand jury’s decision, and where daily protests have continued.


“Now is the time for the city of Ferguson to begin its healing process, with the citizens of Ferguson and the Police Department,” Mr. Knowles said. “We truly understand that the past few months have been very difficult for everyone involved.”


While some political leaders have pressed privately for broader changes, including the departure of the police chief and perhaps even disbanding the city force, the leaders here on Sunday gave no sense that such things were being seriously considered. Chief Thomas Jackson said he had no intention of resigning and leaders here cited plans to recruit more black police officers to the department and give larger stipends for officers who live in the city.





OPEN Timeline



Timeline: Tracking the Events in the Wake of Michael Brown’s Shooting


“My focus really has always been on the safety and security of the city of Ferguson and its citizens,” Chief Jackson said. “And I report to the leadership of Ferguson, so it’s them and the citizens that I’m concerned about their opinion.”


Chief Jackson said he spoke with Officer Wilson recently for the first time since the shooting. At the time of that conversation, the chief said, he had not heard any specific outside threats concerning Officer Wilson’s return to the force. But, Chief Jackson said, “It’s been a threatening environment all along. Everybody knows that.”


The Justice Department is conducting its own investigation into the shooting, as well as a separate, broader investigation into the Ferguson Police Department. It is not known when those will be completed.


The officials here said they had no damage estimate yet for buildings burned and windows broken when unrest broke out last Monday night. They also declined to place blame for what happened.


“To our business owners who are entrepreneurs pursuing the American dream, you are not forgotten,” Mr. Knowles said. “We will not leave any rock unturned to find the resources necessary for you to rebuild. We ask you to stay strong and not give up.”









Source: Top Stories - Google News - http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNEsUiiM-s_JLkUds6yGdPdP6str9Q&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778670699143&ei=IIB7VMCvBcP_ggfOp4D4Bg&url=http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/01/us/ferguson.html

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