After less than a day of speculation over who would be the first to nab an interview with Ferguson police officer, Darren Wilson, the job landed on George Stephanopoulos.
Wilson and Stephanopoulos spoke for about an hour in a “top secret” location and, soon after, ABC began parading their prized reporter around, letting him tease details of the interview to their viewers. Part of that interview was on ABC News, while still more was drawn out on Nightline and will be aired tomorrow during Good Morning America. While we’re certain we haven’t seen all there is to see of the interview or the last of Wilson’s face, we thought we’d share a few key moments from the interview.
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1. Wilson’s description of the blow he took from Brown
“The next thing [I thought] was how do I survive,” Wilson said. “I didn’t know if I’d be able to withstand another hit like that.”
Brown was a large kid, that’s for sure, and Wilson is by no means an imposing figure. Still, having seen pictures of the damage caused by their altercation, we can’t help but feel like fearing for his life during hand-to-hand combat might be a little excessive.
2. On the moment he first unholstered his gun
Wilson went on to describe the moment during which he and Brown struggled within the police car.
“I take [the gun] out and I point it at him and what I said was, ‘Get back or I’m going to shoot you,'” Wilson described. “And then his response, immediately, he grabbed the top of my gun. And when he grabbed it he said, ‘You’re too much of a pussy to shoot me.'”
3. How Wilson claimed that first shot went down
“I could feel his hand come over my hand and try to get inside the trigger guard and try and shoot me with my own gun,” Wilson went on to explain. “And that’s when I pulled the trigger for the first time. It didn’t go off. The gun was actually being jammed by his hand being on top of the firearm. So, I tried again and again, another click. At this time, I’m like, ‘This has to work or otherwise I’m gonna be dead. He’s gonna get this gun away from me, something going to happen and I’m going to be dead.’ So, I pulled the third time and it finally goes off.”
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4. On if there was anything that could have been done differently
With the interview apparently “no holds barred,” Stephanopoulos attempted to go big, asking Wilson if there was anything he could have done differently that may have changed the tragic situation that quickly unfolded. Wilson quickly and resolutely responded, “No.”
5. Really? Nothing?
Stephanopoulos went on to question whether Wilson could have stayed in the car, instead of pursuing Brown on foot. Again, Wilson claims he did exactly what he believed was right.
“My job isn’t to just sit and wait. I have to see where this guy goes,” Wilson explained. ” I mean, that’s what we were trained to do.”
6. And what about his conscience? Is it clean?
While an entire city and a large chunk of the nation still believe Michael Brown’s blood is on Wilson’s hands, he remains resolute that no ill will was meant. He was keeping himself alive and regrets nothing.
“The reason I have a clean conscience is because I know I did my job right,” Wilson stated plainly.
7. He’s seemingly unaffected by Brown’s death
Despite whether one acts out of malice or out of self-defense, most people would agree that knowing they’ve killed someone would weigh on them. Stephanopoulos asked Wilson if Brown’s death would haunt him and, of all his answers, this felt the most shocking.
“I don’t think it’s haunting,” Wilson said calmly. “It’s always going to be something that happened.”
Brown’s death may not haunt Wilson, but it’s spooked our nation. Ferguson is smoldering and cities across America are seeing protestors take to the streets in dismay with the racial discord that still plagues our country.
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