Ferguson police chief Thomas Jackson is reportedly stepping down in an effort to refine the city’s police department.
According to CNN, the announcement is expected to happen next week. Jackson’s resignation comes in the midst of the on-going case of teen Michael Brown, who was shot by Officer Darren Wilson over the summer.
The police chief in Ferguson, Missouri, is expected to step down as part of the effort by city officials to reform the police department, according to government officials familiar with the ongoing discussions between local, state and federal officials.
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It would be one step in what local officials hope will help reduce tensions in the city as the public awaits a decision on whether the St. Louis County grand jury will bring charges against Officer Darren Wilson in the fatal shooting of Michael Brown.
“The animosity that existed in Ferguson were way before Mike Brown’s shooting, justified or not. So, unfortunately, the leadership in the police department has to change,” said CNN legal analyst Mark O’ Mara. “And if he’s sort of a sacrificial lamb to get this started, it’s going to have to be. Ferguson’s going to have to more forward. And it doesn’t seem they can move forward with this police chief in place.”
Jackson, who apologized to the people of Ferguson over the mishandling of the teenager’s case, says no one has asked him to step down.
“Nobody in my chain of command has asked me to resign, nor have I been terminated,” he said on the phone to CNN. And Ferguson Mayor James Knowles said there is no plan in place for the police chief to step down.
When asked whether the federal government was pressuring the city to force out the police chief, he told CNN: “People have been saying that for months, I mean for him to step down. But we’ve stood by him this entire time. So there is no change on that.”
Jackson has acknowledged the force’s mistakes during the six weeks after Brown died. Like the rest of officials, Jackson promised that “all those things that are causing mistrust are being evaluated and we are going to be making changes.”
A second autopsy revealed last week that the teen had gun residue on his hand, leading to assumptions that Brown struggled with Wilson for the gun just moments before he died. Critics believe the new autopsy, along with Jackson’s initial refusal to step down, predicts Wilson will not be indicted for the teen’s murder.
The St. Louis suburb drew national attention after protests erupted following Wilson’s shooting of Brown, an 18-year-old unarmed African-American.
Wilson, who is white, hasn’t been charged in the case, though a grand jury is hearing evidence that could lead to an indictment.
CNN analyst Michael Smerconish thinks Jackson’s removal, if true, is indication that the grand jury may decide not to indict the officer.
“To me this is all calibrated and intended to take the temperature down of the community,” Smerconish said. “I’m absolutely convinced we’re headed for no indictment in this case.
A grand jury will determine Wilson’s fate next month.
SOURCE: CNN | PHOTO CREDIT: Handout
