Darren Wilson, the officer that sparked riots when a grand jury decided not to indict for the shooting of Michael Brown, officially quit the Ferguson Police Department.
One of Wilson's attorneys, Neil Bruntrager, announced Wilson's resignation on Saturday, according to St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The resignation is to begin immediately. Wilson has been on administrative leave since the Aug. 9 shooting.
The police department told Wilson that it had received threats of continued violence if the officer of six years is allowed back to work, Wilson told the St. Louis Dispatch on Saturday evening.
"I'm resigning of my own free will," Wilson told St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "I'm not willing to let someone else get hurt because of me."
Wilson told St. Louis Post-Dispatch that resigning was "the hardest thing I've ever had to do."
Wilson's resignation letter echoed his statements: "I have been told that my continued employment may put the residents and police officers of the City of Ferguson at risk, which is a circumstance that I cannot allow. For obvious reasons, I wanted to wait until the grand jury made their decision before I officially made my decision to resign. It was my hope to continue in police work, but the safety of other police officers and the community are of paramount importance to me. It is my hope that my resignation will allow the community to heal."
Wilson's annual salary was $45,302 and he told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that he has not received a severance package, but he might negotiate for one.
Ferguson Police Chief Thomas Jackson turned down a request for comment on questions about an internal investigation of Wilson, according to St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
