Six “low-level” drug cases have been dropped by St. Louis County prosecutors because Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson is not making court appearances, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. Wilson has been on administrative leave since shooting Michael Brown on Aug. 9 and has not made any public appearances in that time, though he did choose to testify in front of the grand jury that will decide whether to charge him for a crime in Brown’s death.
On Monday, a marijuana possession case involving a man named Christopher Brooks was dropped after Wilson’s no-show. Wilson received a commendation from the Ferguson police department for “extraordinary effort in the line of duty” after apprehending Brooks, who allegedly struggled with Wilson after being stopped on suspicion of participating in a drug transaction. (Authorities reportedly found approximately 6 ounces of marijuana in Brooks’ car.) Brooks accuses Wilson of using excessive force during the arrest, and the grand jury investigating Brown’s death will also consider whether to charge Wilson with misconduct in Brooks’ case.
