POLICE Logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Where's the Apology?

So…Where is the apology from all the people who smeared Wilson? I mean when you spend seven months accusing a peace officer of being a racist, murdering cop who shot an 18-year-old "boy" in cold blood while that "child" tried to surrender and then you find out he was actually an honorable officer of the law defending his person against a vicious attack by a huge, powerful, and enraged man, well maybe you owe that officer a "Hey, bro, my bad."

April 17, 2015
4 min to read


Last month the Department of Justice issued a report on the August 2014 shooting of Michael Brown by then Ferguson, Mo., police officer Darren Wilson. This report was the work of an army of investigators and attorneys sent to Ferguson by the DOJ to find some way to prosecute Wilson for what many people view as a racially motivated "white on black crime." So I know deep down in my soul these officers and employees of the federal government were ordered to go to Missouri and come back with something or just not come back at all.

But they did come back. And they courageously reported an inconvenient truth for the Obama Administration. They said they agreed with the St. Louis County grand jury that the shooting was justified, Wilson's actions were reasonable, Brown initiated the encounter with a violent attack on Wilson and an attempt to take the officer's duty pistol, and the people who accused Wilson of shooting Brown while the young, black man had his hands up saying don't shoot lied.

Ad Loading...

So…Where is the apology from all the people who smeared Wilson? I mean when you spend seven months accusing a peace officer of being a racist, murdering cop who shot an 18-year-old "boy" in cold blood while that "child" tried to surrender and then you find out he was actually an honorable officer of the law defending his person against a vicious attack by a huge, powerful, and enraged man, well maybe you owe that officer a "Hey, bro, my bad."

Just don't hold your breath waiting for it, Officer Wilson. President Obama, Attorney General Eric Holder, the Rev. Al Sharpton, the activists, the mainstream press, the protesters, and the other members of the mob that indicted, convicted, and hanged you long before all the evidence had even been gathered won't be issuing a mea culpa any time soon.

Maybe you don't want their apology. That's understandable. After all, what good can it possibly do you? The damage has been done. You lost your career, you lost your home when your address became public, and you lost your good name.

But even if you don't want that apology, it's still needed and should still be made. It's needed on behalf of the other 800,000 or so of your brother and sister officers still on the job in this country. It's needed because the implication from the attack on you is that all officers are prejudiced, "shoot-first, ask questions later" bastards who feel nothing when they have to kill, especially when the "victim" is a person of color.

That's a dangerous and outrageous stereotype. Saying that all law enforcement officers are brutes and racists is a damned, dirty lie built on the fact that an extremely minute percentage of officers have done brutal and racist things on the job. It's as disgusting as any other stereotype.

Ad Loading...

Such stereotypes do real damage. A belief in stereotypes is why some white people cross the street when they see a young black man in a business suit approaching because they have come to equate that man's racial background with thuggery. That's a slap in the face to the vast majority of young, black men in this country who are not thugs. And the way some people see racism in every encounter between an officer of the law and a person of color is a slap in the face to every good cop.

Frankly, I fear that police officers in this country are now beginning to feel something like the veterans of the Vietnam War did when they returned home and were spit on and jeered at by the people they were serving. Right now, a small but growing segment of the American people are literally spitting and jeering at law enforcement officers. They have even defaced memorials to fallen officers, cheered when officers have been injured, and celebrated on social media when officers have been murdered in cold blood. These people have come to believe the stereotype of police as racists and that stereotype has been reinforced by the words and actions of the president and the attorney general.

Which is why I think every law enforcement officer should write President Obama and Attorney General Holder and demand an apology for Officer Darren Wilson. Of course the apologies will never come. But these men need to be reminded of their sins so that maybe they won't be so quick to crucify the next peace officer who has to use deadly force against an African-American suspect and further entrench the beliefs of some people that all police are racists.

Ad Loading...
Subscribe to our newsletter

More Patrol

image of men on bicycles and women competing in martial arts and a log for the US Police & Fire Championships
PatrolDecember 10, 2025

Police & Fire Championships Expands Athlete Eligibility

The US Police & Fire Championships is now open to all employees – sworn, civilian, administrative, technical, and support staff – who work directly for an eligible public safety agency.

Read More →
Thumbnail for video series POLICE Topics, Tactic & TIps against a black background and an illuminated police car light bar. Headline for Tips for Watching the Hands
Sponsoredby Wayne ParhamDecember 5, 2025

Tips for Watching the Hands

How can officers better “watch the hands”? Mike Willis, Law Enforcement National Training and Program Director for the US Deputy Sheriff's Association, shares some tips.

Read More →
Thumbnail for video series POLICE Topics, Tactics & Tips with yellow headline 10 Tips for Felony/High-Risk Stops.
Sponsoredby Wayne ParhamDecember 3, 2025

10 Tips for Felony/High-Risk Stops

What steps can officers take to stay safer during felony or high-risk vehicle stops? Here are 10 tips from Mike Willis, Law Enforcement National Training and Program Director for the US Deputy Sheriff's Association.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Screenshot of compute screen showing a blurred license plate compared to an image where the image has been enhanced to show the numbers and letters.
Patrolby Edited by StaffNovember 25, 2025

Amped Highlights Power Behind Amped FIVE Software

Amped FIVE empowers you to advance your investigations with confidence and precision, from the crime scene all the way to the courtroom.

Read More →
Background orange tinted image of southern California with pushpin marking Burbank. Headline reads K-9 Killed by Gunman, Burbank Police Department
PatrolNovember 24, 2025

Police K-9 Killed, Suspect Dies in Shootout with Cops

A Burbank Police Department K-9 was fatally shot over the weekend by a passenger who fled on foot from a traffic stop. The armed suspect was killed in a shootout with officers.

Read More →
Thumbnail image with blue and red police lights against a black background, large POLICE logo, headline for From the Show Floor: InVeris
Patrolby Wayne ParhamNovember 23, 2025

From the Show Floor: InVeris

In this video, learn about how InVeris provides training to law enforcement, including customized augmented reality scenarios. The augmented reality system can scan up to 10,000 square feet of real-life environments and create a curriculum based on those spaces.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Thumbnail image for video series POLICE From the Show Floor featuring Polaris Government & Defense.
Patrolby Wayne ParhamNovember 19, 2025

From the Show Floor: Polaris Government & Defense

Learn about Polaris Government & Defense in this video as POLICE visits their show booth to discover their side-by-sides and the advantages they provide for agencies.

Read More →
2026 ford police brochure
SponsoredNovember 17, 2025

2026 Ford Pro™ Police & Special Service Vehicles Guide is Available for Download

Ford Pro™ meets the needs of law-enforcement agencies

Read More →
black background width image of police lights in middle and headline Dashcam Video Officers rescue Man from Burning Car
PatrolNovember 17, 2025

Dashcam Video Shows Officers Rescue Man from Burning Car

Dashcam video released by a New Jersey police department shows two of its officers rescuing an unconscious man from a burning car after a crash.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
blue background with image of a red dot sight and also second image of the red dot on a handgun lower right
PatrolNovember 17, 2025

Aimpoint COA optic + A-CUT Named Red Dot of the Year

The Aimpoint COA optic + A-CUT system has been named Red Dot of the Year by Guns & Ammo magazine. The new optic system was introduced in January 2025.

Read More →