Ferguson, Missouri police officer Darren Wilson, who fatally shot unarmed teenager Michael Brown earlier this month, has gone underground since the controversial shooting, but his backers have been coming out in droves and many are showing their support by donating cash online.
Almost $400,000 has been raised on the fundraising site gofundme.com for the six-year police veteran. After the first fundraising drive reached its goal of $234,000, a second page was established and has brought in more than $153,000 in four days. More than 9,000 people combined have contributed to the two fundraising pages.
By contrast, more than 8,600 people have donated about $250,000 to the gofundme page set up for Brown. Thousands of mourners attended Brown's funeral Monday in St. Louis.
The administrators of the pro-Wilson gofundme page say they "anticipate these funds will be used to cover potential legal fees, relocation and living expenses of both Officer Darren Wilson and his immediate family."
However, the online fundraiser has also drawn a litany of racist comments, forcing the administrators to shut down the comment section.
The online support is also evident on Facebook, where a "Support Darren Wilson" community page has accumulated some 70,000 likes.
On Saturday, CBS News correspondent Vladimir Duthiers reported there was a show of solidarity for Wilson with about 200 people gathering in downtown St. Louis.
"I think he's been crucified, he's been accused of being guilty before a trial," one supported told CBS News. "That's not the American way."
A grand jury is considering evidence in the case, and a federal investigation is also underway.
A longtime friend - former high school classmate and hockey buddy Jake Shepard - publicly has come to Wilson's defense, insisting in interviews that the shy Wilson would never maliciously take a life and fears possible retribution.
