Ferguson Mayor: Darren Wilson not to receive severance package
The white police officer who resigned almost four months after fatally shooting an unarmed black teen in Ferguson, Missouri will not receive severance pay, according to the city’s mayor.
Darren Wilson was not asked to leave the force, but chose to resign after his actions sparked a wave of international protests.
[Mayor James] Knowles said Darren Wilson, who was earning about $45,000 a year, was given no severance when he resigned Saturday, effective immediately. Wilson, 28, had been on paid administrative leave since shooting Michael Brown, 18, following a brief confrontation on a Ferguson street Aug. 9.
A St. Louis County grand jury declined Nov. 24 to indict Wilson on any charges in Brown’s death, sparking more protests.
“We are committed to rebuilding the city and to once again become a thriving community for economic development and residential stability,” Knowles said. According to Wilson, threats aimed at the department fueled concern that staying on the force might have put residents and police at risk in the city.
“It is my hope that my resignation will allow the community to heal. I would like to thank all of my supporters and fellow officers throughout this process,” Wilson said in his resignation letter.
At a news conference on Sunday, Knowles said that the city of 21,000 will take a series of steps to increase minority representation on its police force. It plans to fund police academy scholarships, requiring recipients to work in Ferguson for at least two years after graduation.
The city will also increase the stipend for officers living in the city to $300 per month, up from $100.
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