Ferguson, Mo. police Chief Thomas Jackson on Tuesday denied that he plans to resign following the fatal shooting of an unarmed black teenager by a white police officer.
“Nobody in my chain of command has asked me to resign, nor have I been terminated,” he told CNN.
CNN had reported that Jackson’s resignation could be announced as early as next week, citing anonymous officials with knowledge of discussions between the authorities involved. The police chief of St. Louis County would then take over from Jackson, according to the report.
When CNN asked him if the federal government was putting pressure on Ferguson to oust its police chief, Mayor James Knowles also denied that there was a plan for Jackson to resign.
“People have been saying that for months, I mean for him to step down,” Knowles told the news outlet. “But we’ve stood by him this entire time. So there is no change on that.”
The Ferguson Police Department has been under intense scrutiny since Aug. 9, when Officer Darren Wilson fatally shot 18-year-old Michael Brown. The shooting sparked weeks of tense protests against law enforcement in which officers made use of tear gas and rubber bullets to control the crowds.
A grand jury is expected to decide by mid-November whether to indict Wilson for Brown’s death.