A day of anger over a fatal police shooting of an unarmed black teen in suburban St. Louis turned to mayhem as people looted businesses, vandalized vehicles and confronted police in riot gear who tried to block access to parts of the city.
Additionally, Laura Hettiger, a reporter for CBS affiliate KMOV-TV, tweeted that the police chief in Ferguson claims he and the St. Louis County Police chief were shot at overnight in a Walmart parking lot.
Police told CBS affiliate KMOV-TV in St. Louis that close to 300 officers responded to the area and two officers suffered injuries throughout the night. St. Louis County Police said at least 19 different departments responded to Ferguson, arresting at least 32 people. According to police, shots were fired at a police helicopter in the area.
The tensions erupted after a candlelight vigil Sunday night for 18-year-old Michael Brown, who police said was shot multiple times Saturday after a scuffle involving the officer, Brown and another person in Ferguson, a predominantly black suburb of the city.
KMOV-TV reports at least 12 businesses near the shooting scene were looted, including a convenience store, a check-cashing store, a boutique and a small grocery store. People took items from a sporting goods store and a cell phone retailer, and carted rims away from a tire store.
TV footage showed streams of people walking from a liquor store carrying bottles of alcohol, and in some cases protesters stood atop police cars or taunted officers who stood stoic, some carrying shields and batons.
County Police Chief Jon Belmar said the shooting occurred after an officer encountered Brown and another man outside an apartment complex in Ferguson.
Belmar said one of the men pushed the officer into his squad car and a struggle began. Belmar said at least one shot was fired from the officer's gun inside the police car. Ferguson Police Chief Tom Jackson said authorities were still sorting out what happened inside the police car. It was not clear if Brown was the man who struggled with the officer.
The struggle spilled out into the street, where Brown was shot multiple times. Belmar said the exact number of shots wasn't known and that all shell casings at the scene matched the officer's gun. Police were investigating why the officer shot Brown, who police have confirmed was unarmed.
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People wonder why there's racial profiling to begin with. I'm sorry but certain communities perpetuate stereotypes. Their answer to a shooting of someone by the police? Riot, loot and pillage. THIS is why people are profiled.
Your thoughts?