FERGUSON, Mo. — The police chief in the St. Louis suburb where an officer fatally shot an unarmed teenager identified the officer on Friday as Darren Wilson, and said the officer was dispatched to the area after a reported robbery.

Ferguson Police Chief Thomas Jackson made the announcement after initially declining to the release the officer’s name, saying he had received numerous death threats. The officer has been on administrative leave since the shooting Saturday of 18-year-old Michael Brown, whose death has sparked several days of clashes with furious protesters in the city.

Jackson said Wilson, along with other officers, were called to the area after a 911 call reporting a “strong-arm” robbery just before noon Saturday at a convenience store. He did not say if Brown was a suspect in that robbery and refused to answer any questions, saying he would release more information later Friday.