The fatal shooting of an unarmed black teenager Saturday by a police officer in a St. Louis suburb came after a struggle for the officer’s gun, police officials said Sunday, in an explanation that met with outrage and skepticism in the largely African-American community.The killing of the youth, Michael Brown, 18, ignited protests on Saturday and Sunday in Ferguson, Mo., a working-class suburb of about 20,000 residents. Hundreds of people gathered at the scene of the shooting to question the police and to light candles for Mr. Brown, who was planning to begin college classes on Monday.
Mr. Brown’s stepfather, Louis Head, held a cardboard sign that said, “Ferguson police just executed my unarmed son.”
Last night in Ferguson, demonstrators and police in riot gear faced off after a vigil. According to the St. Louis Dispatch, people started smashing windows of nearby businesses. At least one store was set on fire. Other protesters stayed outside the police station late into the night. Another demonstration is planned for this morning.
Looting, car windows smashed following vigil for teen killed by cops in #Ferguson, Mo. http://t.co/1lWFbC9GUs pic.twitter.com/TY17LWsrdA
— SFGate.com (@SFGate) August 11, 2014
Happening now in #Ferguson pic.twitter.com/KFuaOEZ4tf
— Antonio French (@AntonioFrench) August 11, 2014
#Ferguson PD machine guns + angry dogs #MikeBrown pic.twitter.com/hfVSzzXGvV
— Jayron (@Jayron26) August 10, 2014
#Ferguson morning after pic.twitter.com/dD3vjfWBXG
— David Carson (@PDPJ) August 11, 2014
#IfTheyGunnedMeDown what picture would they use pic.twitter.com/lJ3k3tT63n
— King Ghidorah (@__TrillClinton) August 11, 2014