'This Week' Transcript: Fallout from Ferguson

ByABC News
November 30, 2014, 9:12 AM
ABC News Contributor and Democratic Strategist Donna Brazile, ABC News Contributor and The Weekly Standard Editor Bill Kristol, ABC News' Cokie Roberts, and The Wall Street Journal Columnist Bret Stephens on 'This Week'
ABC News Contributor and Democratic Strategist Donna Brazile, ABC News Contributor and The Weekly Standard Editor Bill Kristol, ABC News' Cokie Roberts, and The Wall Street Journal Columnist Bret Stephens on 'This Week'
ABC News

November 30, 2014 — -- Below is the rush transcript of "This Week" on November 30, 2014. It may contain errors.

ANNOUNCER: Starting right now on ABC THIS WEEK -- Ferguson fury. Demonstrations spreading across the country. Dozens more arrested this weekend.

And breaking overnight -- Officer Wilson resigns -- why he stepped down and will it stop the unrest?

Overturned -- running back Ray Rice wins his appeal -- another black eye for the NFL.

How will the league and its embattled commissioner respond?

Hurry up and wait -- on the busiest travel day of the year, we asked the head of the FAA, can anything be done about those long lines and delays.

And presidential couture...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is President Obama's jacket.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Only the president?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Only for presidents, this thing ISIS.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The man who's been styling the presidents for 60 years.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: From ABC News, "THIS WEEK WITH GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS begins now.

MARTHA RADDATZ, HOST: Good morning.

I'm Martha Raddatz.

And as we come on the air this morning, breaking news from Ferguson, Missouri, where has confirmed Officer Darren Wilson has resigned from the Ferguson police force.

The big question -- will that resignation calm the protests in Ferguson and around the country?

Let's get right to it with Alex Perez, who joins us now from Ferguson with the very latest -- good morning, Alex.

ALEX PEREZ, ABC NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Martha.

A relatively quiet night of much smaller protests here in Ferguson. Just two arrested. Wilson says he hopes his resignation will bring peace.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PEREZ (voice-over): Darren Wilson, a three year veteran of the police department in Ferguson, said he had hoped to continue in police work, a job he told George Stephanopoulos that he loved.

DARRELL WILSON, POLICE OFFICER WHO KILLED MICHAEL BROWN: I greatly enjoyed working in Ferguson, I did.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, ABC NEWS ANCHOR: You put that in the past tense.

It's not going to happen again?

WILSON: I don't think it's possible.

I mean do you think they would accept me?

Do you think it would be safe for me?

PEREZ: In his resignation letter, Wilson wrote, "I have been told that my continued employment may put the residents and police officers of the city of Ferguson at risk, which is a circumstance that I cannot allow."

After the grand jury decided not to indict Wilson, violent protests erupted here and then spread across the country.

(VIDEO CLIP)

PEREZ: For nearly a week now, protests have continued. On Black Friday, groups disrupting big box retailers and forcing one St. Louis mall to shut down.

(VIDEO CLIP)

PEREZ: Pastor Willis Johnson's church is just down the street from the Ferguson police state, the target of many protests. He condemns the violence, but understands the anger.

(on camera): Why is this so emotional for so many people?

PASTOR WILLIS JOHNSON, WELLSPRING CHURCH: It's so personal. It's so -- so hurtful to know that there's no recourse, there's no sense of respect, there's no dignity.

PEREZ: What's next for Ferguson, do you think?

WILLIS: Very tough conversations, very real work.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

PEREZ: And Pastor Johnson says his sermon today will be about holding the entire community responsible and finding a place of hope and healing for Ferguson -- Martha.

RADDATZ: Thanks, Alex.

I'd like to welcome St. Louis alderman, Antonio French, back to our show.