Being a police officer was the job of his life. He thought that he would work for 30 years and then make sergeant and then retire. But Aug. 9 changed all of that for Darren Wilson, the Ferguson police officer who shot and killed unarmed teen Michael Brown.
In the second installment of an hour-and-a-half interview with George Stephanopoulos that aired Wednesday morning on Good Morning America, the 28-year-old told Stephanopoulos that he grew a beard to hide his identity during the months after the shooting, he and his new wife are living a "new normal" and the newlyweds are expecting a child.
"It is actually hard to describe," Wilson told Stephanopoulos. "I would use the word 'stressful,' but that's kind of an understatement. You're always looking, always wondering if someone recognized you, if someone is following you."
He told Stephanopoulos that the beard he grew was uncomfortable but helpful in hiding his identity. He said that he avoided going to the store, or running regular errands if he could. He says that he had to take precautions with everything he has done since the shooting, including where he would sit in a restaurant.
"Everything has to be run through your head; all the time you're watching to make sure no one is following you," he said.
He wants America to know that he is a simple man and a normal person and that the anger in Ferguson is a part of a communication breakdown.
"Communication has to re-established between … all parties involved," he said.
When Stephanopoulos noted that he believed Wilson had that relationship prior to the shooting, Wilson replied, "I greatly enjoyed working in Ferguson."
Wilson says that he hasn't decided to retire but that all options are on the table. He is aware that his presence on the Ferguson police would make life harder for himself and his fellow officers.
"You think they would accept me? You think it would be safe for me?" he asked Stephanopoulos. "Those are all questions, not only for me but for the other officers."
When Stephanopoulos asked if there was a way Wilson could turn what he experienced, "what he was a part of, into something good," Wilson replied that he would love to teach people, "give people more insight on uses of force and anything I can get out of this career I've had and the incident so far; I would love to do."
He added that he and his wife were expecting a child: "I am really just a simple guy. That is all I am."