Officer resigns over threat to protester

ST. ANN, Mo. -- A suburban St. Louis police officer shown on cellphone video pointing his rifle at demonstrators in Ferguson, Missouri, and threatening them is out of a job.

St. Ann Police Chief Aaron Jimenez confirmed that police Lt. Ray Albers resigned Thursday.

A phone call seeking comment from Albers was not returned.

The incident happened Aug. 19 during protests that followed the Ferguson police shooting death of Michael Brown.

On the video, a man is heard saying, "Oh my God! Gun raised!" as the officer approaches. "My hands are up, bro!" the man continues. "My hands are up!"

The officer walks near the man with his gun pointed and appears to say, "I will ... kill you," using profanity. A St. Louis County police sergeant forced the officer to lower the weapon and escorted him away.

Albers was suspended a day later.

The video has generated more than 450,000 views on YouTube alone and is also on several other websites.

Albers was part of the "unified command" of police agencies from around the region called in to help quell rioting in Ferguson in the wake of the death of 18-year-old Michael Brown.

St. Ann is a town of 13,000 that neighbors Ferguson in north St. Louis County.

Albers had been a St. Ann officer since 1994.