Officer who shot Ferguson teen quits police force

The police officer who fatally shot unarmed black teenager Michael Brown in the Missouri town of Ferguson, has resigned from the force, his lawyer said.

The St Louis Post-Dispatch newspaper said 28-year-old Darren Wilson had decided to step down after his police department received threats that violence would follow if he stayed on as an employee.

Last week, a grand jury decided not to prosecute Wilson ruling that the officer legitimately feared for his life during the confrontation with 18-year-old victim Michael Brown – a decision which inflamed tensions in Ferguson and raised concerns about police violence and racial discrimination in the mostly black suburb.

The unrest also spilled over to other US towns and also triggered a nationwide debate over relations between black communities and law enforcement.

The St Louis Post-Dispatch newspaper said Wilson had resigned because of threats of violence.

"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 said in his resignation letter.

The resignation is effective immediately.