State of emergency declared in Ferguson amid protests

The appearance of the four men, all white, quickly drew stares in the mostly black neighborhood, which exploded into violence again Sunday night as protesters marked the police killing of an unarmed black teen a year ago. Mr Brown died on August 9 last year at the hands of Officer Darren Wilson.

St. Louis County Police released a video on Tuesday that they said shows a suspect, who has been accused of firing on police, drawing a pistol from his trousers during protests in strife-torn Ferguson. By 1 a.m., the crowd and police were heading home. They marched up and down West Florissant Avenue, the thoroughfare that was the site of protests and rioting after Brown was fatally shot last year in a confrontation with a Ferguson police officer.

While 22 people were arrested, a spokesperson with St. Louis County police said no one was injured and no shots were fired.

Sunday’s day of remembrance had been peaceful until a handful of protesters grew rowdy later in the evening.

Members of the Oath Keepers walk with their personal weapons on the street during protests in Ferguson, Missouri, on Tuesday.

Dozens of protesters who demanded the dissolution of the Ferguson Police Department were arrested, said the newspaper. During the gunfire, Harris apparently spotted plainclothes officers arriving in the unmarked van and fired at them, authorities have said.

“We are going to let them vent and we are going to manage it the best we possibly can”, Belmar said.

Ferguson resident and military veteran Hershel Myers Jr., 46, criticized the police response as aggressive and unnecessary. An hour later, streets were nearly empty save a few people gathered in parking lots. Several gunshots rang out from an area near a strip of stores, including some that had been looted moments earlier.

Activist groups, meanwhile, said the plain clothes officers who shot Harris should never have been deployed to the scene. Officers returned fire, wounding the shooter. He said the suspect shot into the bonnet and windscreen. Harris was struck multiple times and is hospitalized in critical condition. All 10 are felonies.

Around 5:30pm. yesterday, multiple police departments were dispatched to the area of Highway 70 and Earth City Expressway for a group of protestors shutting down eastbound and westbound traffic. All four officers have been placed on administrative leave. What prompted the shooting was not clear, but Belmar said two groups had been feuding.

Although Sunday began as a day of peaceful protests, it turned into a night of chaos and violence, after people opened fire at a demonstration.

Harris’ father disputed the police account Monday but declined to discuss his son’s shooting Tuesday. “It’s all a bunch of lies…”

Belmar described the individuals involved in the incident as “criminals” and distinguished them from protesters who are calling for positive changes in the community.