Darren Wilson’s Former Police Force Was Disbanded for Excessive Force and Corruption
The Washington Post gives additional insight into the background of the officer who killed Michael Brown.
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Police advance through a cloud of tear gas toward demonstrators protesting the killing of teenager Michael Brown, in Ferguson, Missouri, on August 17, 2014
Photo Credit: AFP

August 24, 2014 |




While news outlets and commentators have attempted analyze every action of Michael Brown, the unarmed black teen shot to death six times in Ferguson, Missouri two weeks ago, we seem to know very little about his shooter, Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson. Wilson, who just months ago won a commendation in a Town Council ceremony, now remains under the police’s protection and hasn’t spoken about the incident.

But as the public continues to search for answers, the Washington Post has published a report on Wilson’s career, including a brief biography, that offers some insight into Wilson’s past.

According to officials interviewed by the Post, Wilson maintained a clean record, but the Post reports that his first job “was not an ideal place to learn how to police.” He entered the police force in 2009, joining a nearly all-white, 45-member task force that patrolled Jennings, Missouri, a small, impoverished city of 14,000 where the residents were 89 percent African-American. The racial tension was high, and the police were accused of using excessive force against its residents:

Racial tension was endemic in Jennings, said Rodney Epps, an African American city council member.

“You’re dealing with white cops, and they don’t know how to address black people,” Epps said. “The straw that broke the camel’s back, an officer shot at a female. She was stopped for a traffic violation. She had a child in the back [of the] car and was probably worried about getting locked up. And this officer chased her down Highway 70, past city limits, and took a shot at her. Just ridiculous.”

Police faced a series of lawsuits for using unnecessary force, Stichnote said. One black resident, Cassandra Fuller, sued the department claiming a white Jennings police officer beat her in June 2009 on her own porch after she made a joke. A car had smashed into her van, which was parked in front of her home, and she called police. The responding officer asked her to move the van. “It don’t run. You can take it home with you if you want,” she answered. She said the officer became enraged, threw her off the porch, knocked her to the ground and kicked her in the stomach.

The department paid Fuller a confidential sum to settle the case, she said.

The department also endured a corruption scandal. In 2011, city council members voted 6-1 to shut down the force and start over, bringing in a new set of officers. Everyone was let go, including Wilson, but he soon found a job at the Ferguson police department, where he has been since.

Lt. Jeff Fuesting, who took over command of the Jennings force, assessed the problems of the former task force like this:

“There was a disconnect between the community and the police department. There were just too many instances of police tactics which put the credibility of the police department in jeopardy. Complaints against officers. There was a communication breakdown between the police and the community. There were allegations involving use of force that raised questions.”

Prachi Gupta is an Assistant News Editor for Salon, focusing on pop culture. Follow her on Twitter at @prachigu or email her at pgupta@salon.com.

More information:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/24/darren-wilson-jennings-police-department_n_5704133.htm

My link isn't working. Sorry. :(

Fixed it

I read that earlier. Wilson had a clean record with that department. Just because there are bad officers in a department doesn't mean they are all bad cops.
I believe I also read that the chief said Wilson was a good officer but that's not stated in the OP. If he was corrupt or had a bad record with that department I find it hard to believe he could have gotten a job as a cop anywhere.

I think this is it:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/24/darren-wilson-jennings-police-department_n_5704133.html

I'm sure that racial tension are endemic in any area where black crime is high.

I think the point was that at his first job, he was exposed to a lot of bad police training as a role model

So he was well trained how not to be a bad cop.

I once worked out at a dojo with a 395lb cop; I could consistently submit him by wearing him out; he would often joke that I should wait until he saw me on the streets, because- his training was to always first radio for back-up: I couldn't take on 7 cops at once, nor he said no one could out-run 7 cops swarming. I would hate to think if his training was to first pull his gun out

And you know first hand that that's how Wilson was trained?
I don't believe any cop is trained to first pull out their gun.

Of course not; but studies show that most cops who fire their weapon tend to be so hyped up that they will empty the clip, modern training would help with that

Modern training?
They have some of the most extensive firearms training there is.
When posed with a threat you are traing to stop the threat.
You aim center mass because an arm or leg shot isn't alwYs going to stop the threat. Every situation is different. It's easy to Monday morning quarter back every situation and point out different ways it could have been handled. Until you are put in a situation where you need to stop a threat in my opinion your opinion doesn't count.

Not to worry.

Gun snatchers won't find themselves on the shooting end of a gunfight.

I trained all my liberal kids how to use and care for weapons. They may not like or have them but, they respect the rights of others.

That liberal slanted blog is just attempting to slander a good man.

back in the day my mom , at 5 3 and 115 went through self defense training, not even the police level, and was able to lay out a man 6 4 and 250 pounds coming at her, by using his own momentum against him

this was a FEMALE , small, and weigning less than half the aggressors size

I agree TB, there has to be training that can allow officers options to defend themselves besides shooting to kill....

WHAT Clip?

believe it,,,,,at least three other FERGUSON cops were hired AFTER serving as cops elsewhere where they had to leave after some allegation of wrong doing,,

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/24/justin-cosma-ferguson-police_n_5705409.html?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000592

"The lawsuit alleges that Justin Cosma and Richard Carter, two deputies with the Jefferson County, Missouri sheriff's department in 2010, assaulted my client during an encounter on my client's driveway while his mother was inside their house. My client was 12 years old at the time, shirtless and was not suspected of any criminal behavior. He was checking the mail. The deputies approached my client and the encounter quickly escalated. My client was restrained, choked, thrown to the ground and hogtied by the two deputies. He suffered scrapes and choke marks to his neck. No charges were ever brought against my client. It is my understanding that Justin Cosma is currently an officer with the City of Ferguson," Lozano wrote


While still at the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, Cosma received an award for dealing with a person in psychiatric crisis, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.







Eddie Boyd III, an officer who faced allegations of hitting children while serving under the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, quietly resigned and sought employment with the Ferguson Police Department. Boyd faced three complaints of physical abuse against children between 2004 and 2006, two of which were dropped. Internal affairs sustained the third complaint against Boyd, saying there was sufficient evidence to support the allegation that he struck a 12-year-old girl in the head with a pistol, and recommended Boyd be fired. The St. Louis police chose to demote him.




St. Louis County officer Dan Page, who has been on the force for 35 years, was suspended from duty for inflammatory comments made while addressing the Oath Keepers of St. Louis and St. Charles. Page made racist and sexist remarks, called President Obama an “illegal alien,” denounced hate crime laws and spoke flippantly about violence and killings. The video, uploaded to YouTube in April, was uncovered by CNN after Page pushed anchor Don Lemon on Aug. 18 during demonstrations in Ferguson.



St. Ann Lt. Ray Albers was also suspended from duty after he threatened civilians in Ferguson, pointing his gun at them and shouting, “I will ****ing kill you.” Reporter Joe Biggs was among the group being threatened.



Darren Wilson, the officer who shot Michael Brown, joined the Ferguson police after the city council in nearby Jennings disbanded the police department and brought in new officers over three years ago because of the poor relationship between cops and residents, the Washington Post reported.



POOR RELATIONSHIP / TRUST ISSUES,, are apparently serious problems IN THAT COMMUNITY that needed to be addressed,,,,,,,

I haven't seen or heard of any complaints against Officer Wilson, except that he was commended for doing his job.
Why would someone want to imply otherwise? Without any evidence?

For starters the OP is HIGHLY speculative at best. Has nothing to do with the officer's habits and/or practices, just his exposure. It is highly unlikely that someone will steal cars and shoot at police after playing Grand Theft Auto.

Secondly (I must warn you as I am about to get graphic), it generally takes more than one shot to take someone down. People don't just collapse when they are hit like in the movies. Often times they are still combat effective after you fatally shoot them. I have seen people run a block or two after being shot in the chest, and admittedly, the 9mm round that most duty cops use are not that powerful so it doesn't help the situation. As a matter of fact, the theory behind using a firearm that shoots this type of round is that you can carry more bullets.

In this thread it was mentioned that a 5'3'' 115 lb woman can take down a 250lb man. It is POSSIBLE with training, but not always probable. Training does not make you super human. Drawing a firearm is often a recourse for those who protect and serve because it allows distance to be kept while control is gained over a situation. If someone charges that gun, they are a THREAT. There is no "armed threat" or "unarmed threat". Or "teenage threat" vs "adult threat". This is the REAL world. If you allow distance to be closed than you are increasing the possibility of the assailant being able to wrestle weapons away from you that you are carrying, which could be used against others after you are taken down. Again, training in the REAL world does not always determine the winner in a confrontation.

I have seen people with YEARS of martial arts training get dropped by some random guy from the streets with seemingly little effort.

That being said, from what I have seen police do need better training in some areas, but the expectation I have seen from a few on here is not only impractical, its just plain ludicrous.

because its relevant in the context of painting shooter or deceased as just 'innocent' citizens

it could be that neither were squeaky clean and that would perhaps equalize the way that their lives should be valued

well, perception is diverse

what people believe to be likely or probable , varies greatly, obviously...