For weeks, federal and state officials have been privately — and sometimes publicly — ratcheting up the pressure on Ferguson Police Chief Thomas Jackson to step down.

Those officials hope that protesters, angry over the shooting of an unarmed black teenager by a white Ferguson police officer, would see Jackson’s ouster as a sign of good faith.

They also want to blunt the effects of any unrest if a St. Louis County grand jury decides not to indict Officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of Michael Brown. That decision is expected before the end of the month.

Jackson has refused to retire or resign, saying he would leave the department only on his own terms.

And because of a fairly new state law, Jackson may be able dictate the terms of his departure.

The law, passed by Missouri lawmakers in 2013 and signed by Gov. Jay Nixon, protects police chiefs from the whims of politicians and was supported by some of Jackson’s most vocal critics.

It says police chiefs can be discharged only if a governing body holds a hearing and decides in a two-thirds vote that there is “just cause” to remove him.

For just cause, at least one of six factors must exist. Those factors include committing a felony or being found incompetent because of alcohol or substance abuse.

The other four factors are: insubordination; showing “reckless disregard for the safety of the public or another law enforcement officer;” causing a material fact to be misrepresented for an improper or unlawful purpose; and acting “for the sole purpose of furthering his or her self-interest or in a manner inconsistent with the interests of the public or the chief’s governing body.”

The bill was supported by Sens. Maria Chappelle-Nadal, D-University City, and Jamilah Nasheed, D-St. Louis. Both have sharply criticized Jackson.

Chappelle-Nadal said Monday that she supported the bill because of a provision guaranteeing that police and firefighters could participate in political activities while off duty and not in uniform.

“We had been trying to pass that for years,” Chappelle-Nadal said.

‘WHOLESALE CHANGE’

Last month, several national news outlets reported that Jackson’s resignation was imminent. One day later, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder called for “wholesale change” in the Ferguson Police Department.

Jackson said Holder’s remarks were irresponsible and were making him the scapegoat. “I think he’s about to leave office and needs to say he accomplished something in Ferguson,” Jackson said.

The most prominent cry for Jackson’s ouster came last week when U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., told a radio station: “I think it would be a good thing if we had change of leadership at the Ferguson Police Department, just because I think it’s important we start with a clean slate.”

Other public officials have not denied being a part of an effort to force out Jackson, but stopped short of acknowledging it.

Jeff Rainford, the chief of staff to St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay, said Jackson’s resignation was just one of many topics during conversations about Ferguson.

But he said St. Louis officials have “not been involved in trying to influence the chief in what he should or shouldn’t do.”

“Not to say we haven’t heard things, or haven’t been privy to things,” Rainford added.

The city took a more active role in Ferguson issues after the shooting of VonDerrit Myers Jr. in the city’s Shaw neighborhood.

“It became clear that this is a regional issue,” Rainford said.

Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster has participated in recent phone calls to political and law enforcement leaders in an effort to put pressure on Jackson, sources say. On Wednesday, a Koster spokesman declined to comment.

Earlier this week, Jackson was noticeably absent at a news conference called by Gov. Jay Nixon, outlining how state and local officials would handle protests after the grand jury’s decision.

Nixon played down a question about why no one from Ferguson had attended, saying that the Missouri Highway Patrol, St. Louis County and St. Louis police were responsible for communicating with the local municipalities.

PETITION EFFORT

Jackson told the Post-Dispatch Wednesday he’s been humbled by local efforts to save his job, including one from a protester leading a petition effort to support him.

Phil Gassoway (right), 35 and a Ferguson resident, goes door-to-door on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2014, asking people to sign a petition to keep Ferguson Police Chief Thomas Jackson. "It should be the decision of the people of Ferguson," said Gassoway, "not the Governor or McCaskill." Resident Gerry Pittman, 43, signed the petition. "Just like a battery," said Pittman, " there are positives and negatives." Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com

Phil Gassoway, who started protesting outside the Ferguson Police Department the day after Brown was killed, began a petition drive a few days ago to save Jackson’s job.

Gassoway, 35, a University of Missouri-St. Louis student and Ferguson resident, said McCaskill’s remarks had angered him.

“Don’t come in our town and demand what our politicians should do,” Gassoway said. “Let that be a choice made by the people of our town.”

So far, he and a friend have collected a few hundred signatures, he said. His goal is 5,000.

On Wednesday afternoon, Gassoway went door-to-door in support of Jackson.

After about an hour, he had collected signatures from seven residents, four of whom were black. Three people refused to sign.

Gassoway said he and other protesters were insulted by the idea that offering the chief’s job as a sacrifice would mollify them. He also said Jackson had developed a friendly rapport with his group.

The chief, Gassoway said, has brought the protesters doughnuts and struck up conversations.

“He’s just getting a raw deal,” Gassoway said. “Everybody is trying to throw the blame off on him.”

Patricia Bynes, a leading figure of the protest movement, said she had talked to some who agreed with Gassoway, but most protesters did not.

“The majority of people I have spoken to think he should have been gone a long time ago,” said Bynes, the Ferguson Township Democratic Committeewoman.

Christine Byers, Kevin McDermott and Nicholas J.C. Pistor of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.

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