St. Louis to discipline officer who wore Wilson patch at protest

By Kevin Murphy (Reuters) - A St. Louis city police officer will be disciplined for wearing a patch bearing the name "Wilson" on his uniform on Friday in apparent support of the officer who fatally shot Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, the police department said. The officer was pictured in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch wearing the patch on his sleeve while standing in front of St. Louis City Hall during a public protest of police brutality. "Chief Dotson is disappointed in the officer's decision to violate the department's policy," the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department said in a statement in reference to Chief Sam Dotson. "The officer will face discipline for his actions." Only department-approved insignias, pins or similar items can be worn on uniforms, the department said. Having Wilson's name on the patch was also a relevant issue, spokeswoman Schron Jackson said. The protest Friday was one of many in the St. Louis area since former Ferguson officer Darren Wilson fatally shot Brown in August that have spread nationwide since a grand jury declined to indict Wilson in November in the teenager's death. Wilson, who has said he shot Brown in self-defense, resigned from the Ferguson police department in late November. (Reporting by Kevin Murphy in Kansas City, Missori; Editing by Richard Chang)