Former Ferguson, Missouri police officer Darren Wilson has announced he will voluntarily resign from his post after not being indicted in the killing of teen Michael Brown. Through a GoFundMe campaign, Wilson allegedly has upwards of $500,000 with which to retire.
And with the lack of an indictment, that may be the only action he faces unless the Brown family files a civil suit. What happens when police use lethal force on unarmed black men? It’s difficult to feel there are any consequences for cops who killed unarmed Black men by looking at these specific, nationally known cases. Take a look at these arresting officers and see for yourself.
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Photo: ABC
In 1999, NYPD officers Sean Carroll, Edward McMellon, Kenneth Boss, and Richard Murphy fired a combined 41 shots at Amadou Diallou while he stood unarmed in his apartment building vestibule reaching for his wallet.
Gescard F. Isnora, Marc Cooper, Michael Oliver, and Paul Headley fired a combined 50 shots at an unarmed Sean Bell in 2006. Bell died on the night of his bachelor party, and Napoli retired, Isnora was fired, and all officers involved were eventually charged with discharging their firearms outside of department guidelines.
Former BART officer Johannes Mehserle served 11 months in jail on involuntary manslaughter charges after shooting Oscar Grant in 2009. Grant was unarmed and on his stomach with his wrists restrained. Mehserle said he mistook his taser for his handgun.
A grand jury recently heard testimony from officer Daniel Pantaleo (the man in the green shirt) after he restrained 43-year-old Eric Garner for selling loose, untaxed cigarettes in July, 2014. The medical examiner ruled Garner’s death a homicide, and a verdict is expected by mid-December.
photo: WENN
Beaver Creek, Florida police officer Sean Williams fired two fatal shots killing 22-year-old John Crawford III in a Wal Mart in August, 2014. Crawford was reportedly carrying a BB gun from the Wal Mart shelves.
photo: WENN
Officers Sharlton Wampler and Antonio Villegas remain on paid administrative leave after fatally shooting Ezell Ford, who was unarmed during the August, 2014 investigative stop. Wampler and Villegas maintain there was a struggle, while conflicting reports say Ford was on his back.
photo: WENN
Timothy Loemann opened fire on 12-year-old Tamir Rice within two minutes of arriving at the scene when Rice was shot holding a pellet gun on November 22, 2014. Loemann is on administrative leave.
photo: WENN
A grand jury failed to indict officer Richard S Neri Jr. after he chalked the 2004 shooting of 19-year old Timothy Stansbury Jr. to being startled. Neri was on patrol and fired a single shot that killed Stansbury who was unarmed.
photo: WENN
Nevada police officer Brian Hartman shot Orlando Barlow in February of 2003 while he was unarmed, kneeled down and surrendering. The shooting was ruled justified at inquest, and the department’s Use of Force Review Board cleared Hartman of any wrongdoing.
Officer Richard Haste was not re-indicted after a prosecutor’s mistake caused a judge to drop manslaughter charges against him for shooting 18-year-old Ramarley Graham in 2012. Haste shot Graham in the chest after following him into an apartment where Graham reportedly flushed a bag of marijuana.
photo: WENN
In July of 2010, officer Jerald Ard tased 17-year-old Victor Steen from his squad car while Steen was on a bike allegedly refusing to stop. Steen fell from the bike, was hit by Ard’s vehicle and died. Ard was put on paid administrative leave.
photo: WENN
Pasadena, California police officers Jeffrey Newlen and Mathew Griffin shot and killed 19-year-old Kendrec McDade in 2012 for running towards them. McDade was unarmed and near the scene of a falsely reported robbery.
Officer Darren Wilson will be a free man after shooting and killing Michael Brown in August, 2009 in Ferguson Missouri. Wilson reportedly has over $500,000 raised by fellow police officers and anonymous donors and has quit the police force after conducting a series of interviews.
