Dozens Arrested in Ferguson Protests
Yamiche Alcindor
USA TODAY 8:23 a.m. EDT
August 11, 2015
Twenty-three people were arrested in Ferguson late Monday night after police say some protesters started throwing rocks and frozen bottles of water at them.
FERGUSON, Mo. — Quiet returned to the streets of this St. Louis County city on Tuesday, hours after more than 20 people were arrested during demonstrations marking the first anniversary of the fatal shooting of Michael Brown.
After hundreds of protesters began marching into a street Monday night, police using loudspeakers told them to move out of traffic. When they didn't comply, officers advanced and took several people into custody.
At least one officer also fired pepper spray into the crowd. More arrests followed before protests and the police presence began to diminish at 1 a.m. Tuesday.
Brown, who was black, was 18 years old when he was fatally shot by a white police officer following a confrontation on a Ferguson street on Aug. 9, 2014. Brown's death set off a wave of sometimes violent protests, although a grand jury and a Justice Department probe both found that former officer Darren Wilson used justifiable force in the shooting.
During Monday night's protest, there were no shots fired and no burglaries, looting or property damage, County police spokesman Shawn McGuire said in a statement. No smoke or tear gas was used, and no injuries to police or civilians were reported.
St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger declared a state of emergency earlier Monday after Ferguson protests turned violent Sunday night.
"In light of last night's violence and unrest in the city of Ferguson, and the potential for harm to persons and property, I am exercising my authority as county executive to issue a state of emergency effective immediately," Stenger said in a statement. "The recent acts of violence will not be tolerated in a community that has worked so tirelessly over the last year to rebuild and become stronger."
St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar immediately took control of policing in Ferguson.
Police in St. Louis on Monday arrested 57 people during protests outside the Thomas F. Eagleton Courthouse. The demonstrations were part of events dubbed #MoralMonday. Clergy members prayed in front of the building and spread oil on it, saying they were anointing it. The protesters were being processed and released "as quickly as can administratively be accomplished by the United States Marshal Service," U.S. Attorney Richard Callahan said. Terri Dougherty, a U.S. attorney spokesperson, told USA TODAY protesters arrested outside the federal courthouse face charges of unreasonably obstructing the usual use of an entrance and will be fined $125.
Author and activist Cornel West, along with several prominent protesters including DeRay McKesson, 30, and Johnetta Elzie, 26, were arrested. The demonstration was part of a move by clergy members to purposefully be detained by police.
West and several others jumped over metal barricades around the building and walked toward officers guarding it. The protesters sat directly in front of the building's entrance and police surrounded the group. Moments later, police began ordering people back behind the barricades. They arrested anyone who didn't comply.
At least three people were shot and four arrested as peaceful Sunday protests became violent overnight into Monday.
Police Chief Jon Belmar said that after a shootout between at least six people, a suspect ran away but then shot at police who were chasing him in an unmarked vehicle with emergency lights flashing. Four detectives got out of their car and shot at the suspect, identified as Tyrone Harris Jr., 18, hitting him several times, according to police.
Moments after the shots were fired, a young woman screamed, "They shot my brother."
Harris was hospitalized in critical condition. The four officers have been placed on administrative leave. Prosecutors announced 10 charges against him, including four counts of first-degree assault on a police officer.
"There is a small group of people out there who are intent on making sure we don't have peace that prevails," Belmar said. "That's just the bottom line on this and that's just unfortunate...We can't afford to have this kind of violence."
USA TODAY 8:23 a.m. EDT
August 11, 2015
Twenty-three people were arrested in Ferguson late Monday night after police say some protesters started throwing rocks and frozen bottles of water at them.
FERGUSON, Mo. — Quiet returned to the streets of this St. Louis County city on Tuesday, hours after more than 20 people were arrested during demonstrations marking the first anniversary of the fatal shooting of Michael Brown.
After hundreds of protesters began marching into a street Monday night, police using loudspeakers told them to move out of traffic. When they didn't comply, officers advanced and took several people into custody.
At least one officer also fired pepper spray into the crowd. More arrests followed before protests and the police presence began to diminish at 1 a.m. Tuesday.
Brown, who was black, was 18 years old when he was fatally shot by a white police officer following a confrontation on a Ferguson street on Aug. 9, 2014. Brown's death set off a wave of sometimes violent protests, although a grand jury and a Justice Department probe both found that former officer Darren Wilson used justifiable force in the shooting.
During Monday night's protest, there were no shots fired and no burglaries, looting or property damage, County police spokesman Shawn McGuire said in a statement. No smoke or tear gas was used, and no injuries to police or civilians were reported.
St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger declared a state of emergency earlier Monday after Ferguson protests turned violent Sunday night.
"In light of last night's violence and unrest in the city of Ferguson, and the potential for harm to persons and property, I am exercising my authority as county executive to issue a state of emergency effective immediately," Stenger said in a statement. "The recent acts of violence will not be tolerated in a community that has worked so tirelessly over the last year to rebuild and become stronger."
St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar immediately took control of policing in Ferguson.
Police in St. Louis on Monday arrested 57 people during protests outside the Thomas F. Eagleton Courthouse. The demonstrations were part of events dubbed #MoralMonday. Clergy members prayed in front of the building and spread oil on it, saying they were anointing it. The protesters were being processed and released "as quickly as can administratively be accomplished by the United States Marshal Service," U.S. Attorney Richard Callahan said. Terri Dougherty, a U.S. attorney spokesperson, told USA TODAY protesters arrested outside the federal courthouse face charges of unreasonably obstructing the usual use of an entrance and will be fined $125.
Author and activist Cornel West, along with several prominent protesters including DeRay McKesson, 30, and Johnetta Elzie, 26, were arrested. The demonstration was part of a move by clergy members to purposefully be detained by police.
West and several others jumped over metal barricades around the building and walked toward officers guarding it. The protesters sat directly in front of the building's entrance and police surrounded the group. Moments later, police began ordering people back behind the barricades. They arrested anyone who didn't comply.
At least three people were shot and four arrested as peaceful Sunday protests became violent overnight into Monday.
Police Chief Jon Belmar said that after a shootout between at least six people, a suspect ran away but then shot at police who were chasing him in an unmarked vehicle with emergency lights flashing. Four detectives got out of their car and shot at the suspect, identified as Tyrone Harris Jr., 18, hitting him several times, according to police.
Moments after the shots were fired, a young woman screamed, "They shot my brother."
Harris was hospitalized in critical condition. The four officers have been placed on administrative leave. Prosecutors announced 10 charges against him, including four counts of first-degree assault on a police officer.
"There is a small group of people out there who are intent on making sure we don't have peace that prevails," Belmar said. "That's just the bottom line on this and that's just unfortunate...We can't afford to have this kind of violence."
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