Night of rage in Ferguson
Buildings burned and gunshots rang out as bloody riots erupted in
, on Monday night after a white police officer was cleared in the fatal shooting of unarmed black teen
.
A beauty shop is set on fire in Ferguson.Getty ImagesA mob trashed police cars, setting some ablaze, as tear gas filled the air on the streets after a St. Louis County prosecutor said a grand jury of nine whites and three blacks had decided after months of deliberation not to indict
in the killing of Brown, 18.
during riots in Ferguson, Mo., and 21 more in nearby St. Louis, officials said. At least 11 businesses were burned down or damaged by flames in Ferguson
“We are profoundly disappointed that the killer of our child will not face the consequence of his actions,” Brown’s family said in a statement. “Let’s not just make noise. Let’s make a difference.”
Brown’s mother, Lesley McSpadden, had been sitting atop a car listening to a radio and burst into tears and began screaming after hearing the prosecutor’s announcement.
The crowd exploded in anger, converging with thousands of police officers in riot gear who were awaiting their reaction.
A demonstrator in Oakland, Calif.ReutersA Molotov cocktail was thrown at police officers, and they deployed pepper spray to disperse the crowd. The St. Louis police posted a picture of what it said was a peaceful protester hit in the face by a brick.
Officers in armored vehicles tried to disperse the crowd by lobbing canisters of gas that made people’s eyes and lungs burn.
The windows of businesses were shattered, and gunshots rang in the streets. A Little Caesars restaurant and as many as a dozen other buildings were torched during the mayhem.
In other developments:
- Wilson’s legal team released a statement that said, “Officer Wilson followed his training and followed the law.” The lawyers also urged “anyone who wants to express an opinion do so in a respectful and peaceful manner,” adding, “Officer Wilson would like to thank those who have stood by him throughout this process.”
- In addition to expressing the family’s “profound” disappointment in the decision, the statement from Brown’s relatives urged the public to “channel your frustration in ways that will make a positive change. We need to work together to fix the system that allowed this to happen.”
- St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Bob McCulloch said, “These grand jurors poured their hearts and souls into this process.” He promised that “everyone will be able to examine that same evidence and come to their own conclusion.”
- The Federal Aviation Administration enacted a no-fly zone over St. Louis and forced commercial airliners to turn around, reports said.
- Protesters also took to the streets of New York, where Police Commissioner Bill Bratton was splattered with fake blood.
- Angry crowds were reported marching on the White House, blocking highways in Los Angeles, starting fires in Oakland and throwing fireworks at cops in Seattle.
Among the places struck by the violence in Ferguson was the store that Brown had robbed before he was shot. It was looted in the chaos.
The St. Louis County police reported heavy automatic gunfire around midnight.
Vehicles are set on fire at a car dealership in Ferguson.ReutesrProtesters overran a barricade and taunted police. Some chanted, “Murderer” and others threw rocks and bottles.
The windows of a police car were bashed in, and protesters tried to topple it before it was set on fire.
Michael Brown; Darren WilsonFacebookOfficers responded by firing what authorities said was smoke and pepper spray into the crowd. Protesters insisted it was tear gas.
The St. Louis Police Department said tear gas was deployed to disperse a crowd on South Florissant Road after officers had tried to use
smoke and were unsuccessful.
Some in the crowd reportedly urged others to stop taking part in the violence.
Across the country, demonstrators marched, waved signs and shouted chants of “Hands up! Don’t shoot!”
The slogan has become a rallying cry in protests over police killings across the country after witnesses said Brown’s hands were up when he was shot six times by Wilson, who had been sitting in his cruiser.
Witness accounts differed, though, over whether Brown’s arms actually were raised or whether he charged at the police officer.
With Post Wire Services
