Update: Name of Michael Brown shooter released, police suggest possible robbery connection to slain teen
Ferguson Police Chief Thomas Jackson said six-year veteran Darren Wilson is the police officer who fatally shot 18-year-old Michael Brown on Friday.
Wilson, who is from the St. Louis area, has no history of disciplinary action.
In a news conference, Jackson offered a timeline of events of the shooting which included a strong-armed robbery. According to Jackson, Wilson was on a different call when he heard a call from dispatch about the robbery. Another alert came with a more detailed description of the suspects involved in the robbery.
By giving the timeline and descriptions of the suspects involved in the robbery, police are implying Michael Brown was somehow involved. Video tape of the robbery will be released later on Friday.
The department declined to release the officer’s name because of the threats of violence against the officer. The police department is making the announcement willingly and not as the result of any lawsuits, Jackson said.
The hactivist group Anonymous, who pressured the Ferguson Police Department to release the officer’s name, hacked the police department’s website. The group posted a name on Twitter they claimed to be officer involved, but it turned out to be incorrect.
The announcement comes after a peaceful night on demonstrations, where protesters marched through Ferguson to the site where the unarmed black teen was killed by a white police officer.
The shift in tension comes after Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon brought in state police to oversee security. Highway Patrol Capt. Ron Johnson, a black Ferguson native, took command over the situation.
Local police will continue to head the investigation. Separate investigations into Brown’s murder are also being conducted by the FBI and the Department of Justice.
Check back for updates.
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