Missouri authorities have named Darren Wilson as the police officer who shot and killed 18-year-old Michael Brown last weekend in a tragic incident that has sparked racial tensions in the Ferguson suburb of St. Louis.
"[Wilson] has been a police officer for six years, and has had no disciplinary action against him," Ferguson Police Chief Thomas Jackson said Friday. "He was treated for injuries which occurred on Saturday."
Protests, looting and riots shook the streets of Ferguson after the unarmed black teenager was shot as he was reportedly running away from police on Saturday Aug. 9. Police initially held back the officer's name in response to death threats, fueling rumors of injustice and a public outcry for the cop's identity.
But the scene in Ferguson was much calmer on Friday following the decision of state Governor Jay Nixon to place Captain Ronald Johnson of state highway patrol in charge of ground security instead of St. Louis county police, The Wall Street Journal reported.
The police chief also revealed Friday that Wilson was in the neighborhood responding to reports of an armed robbery at a nearby convenience store and that Brown fit the description of a suspect, according to Fox News.
Wilson drove up and asked Brown and his friend who were walking in street to get back on the sidewalk. A struggle between the teenager and Wilson ensued and Wilson fired his weapon.
However, witnesses in the suburb where most of the police force is white said Brown was running away with his hands in the air when he was shot. The streets erupted with the sight of Molotov cocktails, buildings on fire and the sound of broken windows. Police in helmets and shields used tear gas and rubber bullets to break up the crowds in the predominantly black suburb, the WSJ reported.
On Thursday evening, Captain Johnson, who is black, called for peace as residents wait and see if the captain can restore order to a town in the midst of a racial meltdown.
"When I see a young lady cry because of fear of this uniform, we have a problem," Johnson said according to the WSJ. "There will be no tear gas tonight."
Wilson has been placed on administrative leave pending the investigation into Brown's death.
