Darren Wilson in Negotiations to Resign from Ferguson Police Department

Officer Darren Wilson, who shot an unarmed
Michael Brown in August, leading to months of protest, is
reportedly “negotiating” a resignation from the Ferguson Police
Department with city officials, according
to CNN, which reports that the talks are dependent on the grand
jury decision expected tomorrow but now how. Wilson tells friends
he wants to resign to “ease pressure and protect his fellow
officers.”

It’s not a bad idea but probably won’t dampen any protests if
the grand jury decides not to indict Darren Wilson. Given the
question marks about what happened the day Wilson shot Brown, an
indictment seems highly unlikely as it doesn’t appear there’s
enough evidence to prove a crime beyond a reasonable doubt,
particularly considering in Missouri it is legal for cops to shoot
people they believe they’ve seen commiting a felony, like
assaulting a cop. Even though Wilson is in a position of power,
authorized to use force in a way “civilians” aren’t, it’s important
that due process protections extend to him, too, especially in the
face of public pressure in the other direction.

The problem, as I’ve written about since this happened, is that
police unions have
helped produce rules that produce bad actors. While no one
should go to jail based on the public’s opinion of them, that
shouldn’t extend to employment, especially public employment in a
position that requires significant interaction with the public.

Companies cut ties with people over appearances all the time. No
rational person would argue someone like Ray Rice was deprived of
any due process for losing endorsement deals or even his NFL
contract without being convicted of a crime. Those endorsements and
contracts are privileges. Wilson may not be paid nearly as much—NBC
News has
made a point to lament the low pay of St. Louis-area cops like
him—but his job, like all public and private jobs, is a privilege
too. One the city should’ve had the power to revoke in the wake of
the Michael Brown shooting, potentially avoiding months of protest
and community tension. Instead we have this farce, where a
disgraced cop is negotiating an exit while the threat of a
politically expedient but legally unsound indictment hangs over
him.