Despite a grand jury expected to announce this month whether or not to indict Darren Wilson, the Ferguson, Mo., police officer who fatally shot unarmed teenager Michael Brown, a "Militant Resistance" group has reportedly taken it upon itself to seek out justice from a "corrupt police state."
Ever since the Aug. 9 shooting of the 18-year-old Brown happened, 28-year-old Wilson has been granted paid leave to be hidden following weeks of violent protests that rocked the Ferguson community. But now, the "Militant Resistance" group has offered $5,000 to any individual who might be able to provide details on Wilson's whereabouts, UK MailOnline revealed in an exclusive report.
"We are paying $5k cash for location of Officer Darren Wilson. Real $, no joke, no crime we just wanna get his photo and ask him a few questions," RbG Black Rebels said in a series of incendiary tweets on Tuesday.
Even though the group's statements repeatedly emphasize the offer to not be taken as a bounty on the officer's head, the chilling context of violent online posts which boast of "combat experience," "stockpiling," ammunition, cleaning out guns and being #WarReady seem to contradict their purpose.
Quite obviously, the offer quickly garnered attention on social media, with most people offering their support for the cause.
"@BlackRebels_Stl@OpFerguson Yank that bastard off the street. He is a murderer running free still," one commenter tweeted at the group's Twitter handle.
On Monday afternoon, Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon declared a state of emergency and authorized the state's National Guard to support police in case of violence.
The order, in effect for 30 days, instructs the St. Louis County Police Department, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and the St. Louis Metro Police to work together in policing violent protests that might erupt after a decision is announced.
Meanwhile, a supposed police officer in the Ferguson area spoke to "St. Louis Coptalk" forum about what he expects to happen in Ferguson in the coming weeks, urging community members to "protect" their families with firearms, Vocativ reported, adding that the man's identity as a police officer could not be independently confirmed.
"If you do not have a gun, get one and get one soon. We will not be able to protect you or your family," the man, who posted under the name "A Concerned Cop," wrote. "It will be your responsibility to protect them. Our gutless commanders and politicians have neutered us. I'm serious, get a gun, get more than one, and keep one with you at all times."
This warning comes after the FBI recently issued an intelligence bulletin stating that a grand jury's decision "will likely be exploited by some individuals to justify threats and attacks against law enforcement and critical infrastructure."
"This also poses a threat to those civilians engaged in lawful or otherwise constitutionally protected activities," the bulletin said.
Currently the grand jury, which meets only once a week on Wednesdays, is still hearing evidence, a spokesperson for St. Louis County Prosecutor Bob McCulloch's office told News 4 on Thursday.
