In a telephone interview with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Wilson said he resigned after the police department told him it received threats of violence if he remained an employee.
"I'm resigning of my own free will," he said. "I'm not willing to let someone else get hurt because of me."
He said resigning was "the hardest thing I've ever had to do."
The resignation, which is immediate, comes five days after a grand jury decided not to indict Wilson in the killing of Michael Brown, 18.
The shooting sparked worldwide protests and the Monday announcement of no indictment triggered another round of demonstrations that continued through the week and into the weekend.
As police and protesters clashed, a contentious national debate on race and law enforcement reopened, with many people complaining that police unfairly target black males. Wilson is white and Brown was black.
Wilson says he's sorry but his conscience is clear
'He's 112 days too late'
People gathered again Saturday on the streets of Ferguson. One protester, Monica Chambers told CNN affiliate KMOV that Wilson should have been out of a job much earlier.
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