It’s been a fortunate week for Darren Wilson, considering what might have happened. First, the grand jury in Ferguson declined to pursue charges against him in the death of Michael Brown. Then, he and his new wife announced they are expecting a baby.
There’s still a tough road ahead for Wilson, though, with a federal investigation looming and a potential civil action against him by Brown’s family. He has to worry about (and pay for) his family’s safety and the possibility of financial costs in any legal proceedings.
Since the summer, an anonymous supporter has set up a pair of Facebookpages and sold hats and T-shirts to raise funds for Wilson – and to date has raised more than $500,000.
The woman who started the “I stand with Darren Wilson” campaign has lived with death threats and rape threats since the summer.
She didn’t know Wilson before the incident, but has an interesting reason for wanting to get involved. Her grandfather was a St. Louis cop, and her father was killed in a confrontation with police in 1995. She tells Daily Mail:
“My dad when I was 17 was shot and killed by police.
‘I know that people really want somebody to blame. At 17 years old I wanted somebody to blame. I wanted to blame the police at first. Then I wanted to blame myself, then I wanted to blame other people, I wanted to blame drugs.
Then I realized quickly even at that young age: my dad is to blame. My dad attacked a police officer and my dad got shot and killed.
I’ve been there, I’ve been where the Brown family is and I know that this is not the answer….”
Daily Mail also reports that a gofundme.com site raised $235,000 and a pro-police group, “Shield of Hope,” raised $250,000, meaning close to $1 million has been raised for Wilson’s defense. With support like this, it’s conceivable that Wilson, his wife and new child could quietly exit public life and live in peace.
Read more: http://www.ijreview.com/2014/11/209440-3-new-darren-wilson-supporters-raise-500k/