Surveillance Footage Captures Moment Suspect Pulled Gun From Waistband in

Tensions grew as darkness fell on Monday, with several confrontations between police wearing riot gear and demonstrators.

For a second night running US police were in a tense standoff with protesters in Ferguson, as St. Louis County declared a state of emergency and a teenager was charged with shooting at police officers. Officers lined several blocks of West Florissant.

Cornel West, who was arrested during a protest last October, was handcuffed by police during the demonstration.

Work crews were cleaning and repairing a parking lot where a some demonstrators had gathered gravel to throw at police. The protesters carried signs, chanted and prayed, demanding that the U.S. Justice Department take action.

Police have said they later shot the teen after he unleashed a “remarkable amount of gunfire” at officers, a characterization his family disputes. “They put the response in Belmar’s hands”.

Police detain a protester in Ferguson, Missouri. A 9mm Sig Sauer semi-automatic pistol, reported stolen in Cape Girardeau, was found next to him, officials said. They always dig into their past to try and assassinate their character and just like they tried to do with Mike Brown Jr., Antonio Martin and Vonderrit Myers Jr. and others, remember all of us have a past that’s not so lovely and it should not cancel a person’s future.

The St. Louis County police chief condemned their appearance in Ferguson.

Ferguson Mayor James Knowles and the City Council issued a statement saying they were disappointed in the behavior on display, calling it “counterproductive” and vowing it wouldn’t be tolerated. It simply marked a change in tactic, he said. He is accused of firing into an unmarked police van.

Mr Torrence added the fact the officers involved were dressed in plainclothes coloured his impressions of the incident.

Late on Sunday, a protest in the same area was interrupted by gunfire and a police shooting that left an 18-year-old suspect critically injured.

“It’s peaceful out here, we might be a little annoying, but it’s peaceful”, said Baldwin. “Property and life needed to be preserved”. People marched up and down West Florissant. The demonstrations were part of events dubbed #MoralMonday.

Hours later, police arrested dozens of protesters who blocked rush-hour traffic on Interstate 70 a few miles (km) from Ferguson, according to a Reuters witness.

The 13-second video, taken from a surveillance camera at an insurance agency, shows a group of people milling about on Sunday evening, when the protests turned violent.

At one point, the group began marching aggressively toward police.

“What did I do?” Another young woman who was arrested raised concern when she told onlookers shooting video with their cellphones that she was 12.

Also on Monday, a reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch who was beaten and robbed covering the protests Sunday night was released from the hospital, according to that newspaper.

“My wrongful arrest while trying to record police abuse is further evidence that law enforcement has nothing but contempt for political resistance and those who would try to protect it.”

The St Louis suburb has seen demonstrations for days marking the anniversary of Michael Brown’s killing on August 9 2014. Belmar and St. Louis city Police Chief Sam Dotson assisted.