Now that a Missouri grand jury has decided not to indict Officer Darren Wilson , what will happen to the man who killed an unarmed teen in the line of duty ? Technically , the 28-year-old officer could have returned to his job at the Ferguson Police Department . But many believe he will never work as a cop again . On Saturday , Wilson resigned from the force , his attorney confirmed to CNN . The eight-year police veteran wrote in his resignation letter he was leaving to help protect his fellow officers and Ferguson residents . `` It is my hope that my resignation will allow the community to heal , '' he wrote in the letter , provided by his attorney . What Wilson told the grand jury . `` It would be senseless for him to go back to Ferguson , '' CNN legal analyst Mark O'Mara said . `` And I do n't even think he can go back to law enforcement , for the same reason . He is still now going to carry with him this mantle that he was the cop who killed the young black kid that sparked the controversy nationwide . '' Most people believe Wilson will never again wear a badge . `` If I 'm the mayor of Ferguson , believe me , you would want that cop out because you know that he will be controversial , '' CNN legal analyst Paul Callan said . `` He will be distrusted by the citizenry and maybe subjected to abuse when he 's out on the street . It 's just going to be nothing but trouble . '' How prosecutor defended grand jury 's decision . More investigations . Wilson is still the subject of an internal investigation by the Ferguson Police Department over what happened on August 9 , the day he fatally shot unarmed teenager Michael Brown . And the U.S. Justice Department is conducting two civil rights investigations : one into whether Wilson , who is white , violated Brown 's civil rights , and the other into the police department 's overall track record with minorities . O'Mara says he believes the federal investigation into Wilson 's actions will lose steam . `` A federal investigation for civil rights violation is very difficult to accomplish , '' he said . `` You really have to show that the person acted with the intent to take away your civil rights , meaning I did what I did because you 're black . That 's a protected class . '' The decision to open a federal probe of the Ferguson shooting was largely political , he said . Since the grand jury declined to indict Wilson , one could conclude that the shooting was justified based upon Wilson 's and Brown 's actions . `` That 's more evidence that he acted in self-defense , '' O'Mara said . 'More stringent ' federal probe possible . Callan said the lack of an indictment could push the federal government to `` open a much more stringent and powerful investigation '' of Brown 's shooting . `` Now they know he 's not going to be prosecuted on a state level , and the feds have a right to do a completely independent investigation , and they 're not bound in any way by grand jury determination , '' he said . Whether the Justice Department brings charges , however , is another story . `` As a general rule , the feds really only get involved when they have a really strong case . '' Callan said . `` I would n't imagine they 're going to swoop in on this one too quickly . '' Wrongful death lawsuit possible . Brown 's family will probably file a wrongful death lawsuit against Wilson and the Ferguson Police Department , Callan and O'Mara said . The Browns recently hired famed pathologist Michael Baden to conduct a second autopsy of Brown 's body , which Callan says is a move presumably `` to support a civil lawsuit for money damages later . '' `` They 're going to sue a lot of people , and there 's no reason not to , '' O'Mara added . Callan said Brown 's family could file a lawsuit against Wilson and the police department under Section 1983 of Title 42 of the U.S. Code -- a federal statute that permits damages against state officials for violations of legal or constitutional rights . But , O'Mara points out , law enforcement officers are afforded certain legal protections . `` We strap guns on them and say , 'Go out there and put yourself in danger , ' `` he said . `` So they even have an extra level of immunity of sorts . ... Overall , Wilson probably acted within the confines of what he 's supposed to do . '' But Wilson will forever be connected to this divisive case that sparked weeks of unrest in the St. Louis suburb . `` Darren Wilson is going to have a tough time because even if the presumption was he did nothing wrong , that does n't matter . He is now the focus point for all the anger and animosity that exist in the black community . '' Complete coverage of what 's happening in Ferguson .
Ferguson resigned from Wilson on weeks . It 's not clear whether the Ferguson Police Department will continue being an officer somewhere else , but experts doubt it . `` It would be senseless for him to go back to Darren Wilson , '' lawyer and analyst O'Mara said . The grand jury had considered charges ranging from manslaughter to murder .