Darren Wilson, the officer that shot and killed Michael Brown, is struggling in the aftermath of the situation and "fears for his life," according to ABC News reports.
Wilson said he is afraid to leave custody because he will be immediately recognizable due to the vast coverage of the case, putting himself and his young child in danger.
Last week, police revealed Wilson was the officer who shot Brown dead in Ferguson, Mo., after Brown allegedly punched him in the face.
"When I first heard [Wilson identified as the shooter], I didn't believe it. I thought it was a mistake in all honesty," a friend of Wilson's, who didn't want to be identified because of the anger surrounding the shooting, said to ABC News. "I can never imagine him shooting anybody, even as a police officer."
Another friend, Jake Shepard, who went public talking about Wilson in efforts to balance the news coverage of the event, showed Daily Mail text messages between him and Wilson after he spoke about the officer to CNN.
One message read: "The support is really keeping me going during this stressful time. Just stay safe. I appreciate all you have done."
Shepard also showed Daily Mail a text message from Wilson saying he can't go out because of all the attention the case is getting.
