Luke Skywalker
Super Moderator
{vb:raw ozzmodz_postquote}:
Officer Darren Wilson spoke exclusively to ABC News' George Stephanopoulos Tuesday about his role in the death of Michael Brown. VPC
George Stephanopoulos, left, interviews Ferguson, Mo., police officer Darren Wilson Nov. 25 in Missouri.(Photo: Kevin Lowder, AP)
Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson is married, expecting a baby and contemplating his future now that a grand jury has decided not to indict him in the shooting death of unarmed black youth Michael Brown.
In a wide-ranging, almost hour-long interview with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos, snippets of which ran on Good Morning America Wednesday morning and on ABC News and Nightline on Tuesday, Wilson spoke publicly for the first time about what happened that summer afternoon when he encountered Michael Brown and a friend, his life in hiding since the violent protests that followed the killing and his uncertain future.
He said a return to the police force is unlikely, though he hasn't made a final decision.
"Do you really think it's possible?" he asked. "Do you think they would accept me? Do you think it would be safe for me? Those are all questions, not only for me but other officers. Is attention brought to me going to hurt one of them? Can I put them in that situation?"
He said working as a police officer was the job of his life, and his only goal was to be promoted to sergeant.
Now he has to find a new career, he told Stephanopoulos. He said he hopes to use his experience to teach other officers about the deadly use of force.
Mostly, the 28-year-old said, he just wants to go back to a normal life. That won't happen anytime soon as a federal investigation looms and violent protests wrack the region.
Twitter | @abc
ABC News on Twitter
He describes himself as a simple guy who wants a "normal" life. When Stephanopoulos asked how he'll return to a normal life, Wilson said, "I don't know. It's a day-by-day process."
He said the grand jury declining to indict him doesn't mean everything is over.
"Everybody saw what happened last night," he said, referring to the angry protests. "It's still evolving."
STORY: Why it's so hard for grand juries to indict cops
Since the shooting, Wilson has been in hiding. He described a solitary life with a small circle of people, much like the life described by George Zimmerman after he was acquitted of killing unarmed black teen Trayvon Martin in Florida.
"You have to take precautions, where you sit in a restaurant and where you drive," he said. "You have to make sure no one is following you."
If he goes out, he said, he has to be on guard for who is looking at him or looking too long.
Wilson said his conscience is clear. He said he would do everything the same if faced with Brown again.
"I did my job that day," he said.
STORY: Today in Ferguson: Clashes but less violence
He recounted the four-hour testimony he gave to the grand jury in September, saying there was "no way" Brown had his hands up when he was fatally shot.
He said he had no choice but to shoot Brown, that Brown was huge and intimidating (he compared him to a "demon" and Hulk Hogan), that he had grabbed Wilson's gun and punched him and that he feared Brown would kill him.
When asked if he would be haunted by the incident, Wilson said, "I don't think it's a haunting; it's always going to be something that happened."
Wilson said he asked himself if he could legally shoot Brown. "I thought, 'I have to. If I don't, he will kill me if he gets to me.' "
Still, he says he feels remorse for Brown's death.
"I feel sorry that his life was lost," he said. "You never want to take a life. Ever."
Contributing: Maria Puente, Melanie Eversley, Associated Press
Powered By WizardRSS.com | Rfid Credit Card Sleeve | Full Text RSS Feed