Police Break-up Demonstrations Demanding Justice for Slain Michael Brown; National Guard Deployed in Ferguson
Published August 19, 2014
A largely peaceful protest in Ferguson, Mo. once again turned into a confrontation between demonstrators and police after dark Monday, almost 24 hours after Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon lifted a midnight-to-5 a.m. curfew and ordered the National Guard to the fraught St. Louis suburb.
Shortly before midnight local time, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that police fired tear gas at a group of protesters who had reportedly defied orders to leave the parking lot of a burned-out QuikTrip convenience store that has been near the center of demonstrations over the past eight day. St. Louis County Police Chief Sam Dotson told reporters that shots had been fired in the area and media members were told to go to a designated area about a quarter of a mile away.
The majority-black town of approximately 21,000 has been roiled by unrest since the death of 18-year-old Michael Brown, who was fatally shot by a white police officer following a confrontation of some kind on the afternoon of August 9. Local authorities have fired tear gas and smoke canisters at protesters upset with the response to the shootings by Ferguson Police.
Late Monday, reporters estimated that the number of protesters had dropped to around 100. Police made some arrests during the night, but no official tally was released. The Associated Press reported that at least two people had been arrested for disorderly conduct and failure to disperse.
A photographer for the Getty photo agency was arrested while covering the demonstrations and later released. Scott Olson said he was "arrested for just doing my job." As with previous arrests of journalists over the past week, no charges were filed against Olson, who by Monday night was back shooting photos.
As darkness fell, National Guard units with armored vehicles were waiting at a staging area about a half-mile from the portion of West Florissant Avenue that has been the scene of the largest protests. Closer to the protest site, a crowd of demonstrators was marching and growing in size. Sheriff's deputies in body armor and state troopers carrying wooden bats and gas masks stood watch over the group.
The Post-Dispatch reported that some protesters began throwing bottles at police shortly after 10 p.m. local time. Authorities responded by ordering protesters to clear the streets and firing high-pitched sound cannons.
Another group of protesters marched toward the police lines and stopped, defying orders that demonstrators could not assemble in a single spot, but had to keep moving instead. The Post-Dispatch reported that an armored vehicle moved down the street trying to clear the crowd and a group of pastors locked arms and helped to move protesters away from the police line.
In federal court earlier Monday, a judge denied a request from the American Civil Liberties Union for a restraining order that would have prevented authorities from enforcing the no-stopping rule.
A grand jury could begin hearing evidence Wednesday to determine whether the officer, Darren Wilson, should be charged in Brown's death, said Ed Magee, spokesman for St. Louis County's prosecuting attorney.
The St. Louis County medical examiner's autopsy found that Brown was shot six to eight times in the head and chest, office administrator Suzanne McCune said Monday. But she declined further comment, saying the full findings were not expected for about two weeks.
Lawyers for Brown's family and hired pathologists said an independent autopsy determined that Brown was shot six times, including twice in the head.
Forensic pathologist Shawn Parcells, who assisted former New York City chief medical examiner Dr. Michael Baden during the private autopsy, said a bullet grazed Brown's right arm. He said the wound indicates Brown may have had his back to the shooter, or he could have been facing the shooter with his hands above his head or in a defensive position across his chest or face.
"We don't know," Parcells said. "We still have to look at the other (elements) of this investigation before we start piecing things together."
A third and final autopsy was performed Monday for the Justice Department by one of the military's most experienced medical examiners, Attorney General Eric Holder said. Holder was scheduled to travel to Ferguson later this week to meet with FBI and other officials carrying out an independent federal investigation into Brown's death.
Due to the unrest, the Ferguson-Florissant School District announced late Monday that classes would be canceled for the remainder of the week. Students were due to return from summer vacation last week, but were held out due to the unrest.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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| Ferguson youth attacked by militarized police units. |
A largely peaceful protest in Ferguson, Mo. once again turned into a confrontation between demonstrators and police after dark Monday, almost 24 hours after Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon lifted a midnight-to-5 a.m. curfew and ordered the National Guard to the fraught St. Louis suburb.
Shortly before midnight local time, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that police fired tear gas at a group of protesters who had reportedly defied orders to leave the parking lot of a burned-out QuikTrip convenience store that has been near the center of demonstrations over the past eight day. St. Louis County Police Chief Sam Dotson told reporters that shots had been fired in the area and media members were told to go to a designated area about a quarter of a mile away.
The majority-black town of approximately 21,000 has been roiled by unrest since the death of 18-year-old Michael Brown, who was fatally shot by a white police officer following a confrontation of some kind on the afternoon of August 9. Local authorities have fired tear gas and smoke canisters at protesters upset with the response to the shootings by Ferguson Police.
Late Monday, reporters estimated that the number of protesters had dropped to around 100. Police made some arrests during the night, but no official tally was released. The Associated Press reported that at least two people had been arrested for disorderly conduct and failure to disperse.
A photographer for the Getty photo agency was arrested while covering the demonstrations and later released. Scott Olson said he was "arrested for just doing my job." As with previous arrests of journalists over the past week, no charges were filed against Olson, who by Monday night was back shooting photos.
As darkness fell, National Guard units with armored vehicles were waiting at a staging area about a half-mile from the portion of West Florissant Avenue that has been the scene of the largest protests. Closer to the protest site, a crowd of demonstrators was marching and growing in size. Sheriff's deputies in body armor and state troopers carrying wooden bats and gas masks stood watch over the group.
The Post-Dispatch reported that some protesters began throwing bottles at police shortly after 10 p.m. local time. Authorities responded by ordering protesters to clear the streets and firing high-pitched sound cannons.
Another group of protesters marched toward the police lines and stopped, defying orders that demonstrators could not assemble in a single spot, but had to keep moving instead. The Post-Dispatch reported that an armored vehicle moved down the street trying to clear the crowd and a group of pastors locked arms and helped to move protesters away from the police line.
In federal court earlier Monday, a judge denied a request from the American Civil Liberties Union for a restraining order that would have prevented authorities from enforcing the no-stopping rule.
A grand jury could begin hearing evidence Wednesday to determine whether the officer, Darren Wilson, should be charged in Brown's death, said Ed Magee, spokesman for St. Louis County's prosecuting attorney.
The St. Louis County medical examiner's autopsy found that Brown was shot six to eight times in the head and chest, office administrator Suzanne McCune said Monday. But she declined further comment, saying the full findings were not expected for about two weeks.
Lawyers for Brown's family and hired pathologists said an independent autopsy determined that Brown was shot six times, including twice in the head.
Forensic pathologist Shawn Parcells, who assisted former New York City chief medical examiner Dr. Michael Baden during the private autopsy, said a bullet grazed Brown's right arm. He said the wound indicates Brown may have had his back to the shooter, or he could have been facing the shooter with his hands above his head or in a defensive position across his chest or face.
"We don't know," Parcells said. "We still have to look at the other (elements) of this investigation before we start piecing things together."
A third and final autopsy was performed Monday for the Justice Department by one of the military's most experienced medical examiners, Attorney General Eric Holder said. Holder was scheduled to travel to Ferguson later this week to meet with FBI and other officials carrying out an independent federal investigation into Brown's death.
Due to the unrest, the Ferguson-Florissant School District announced late Monday that classes would be canceled for the remainder of the week. Students were due to return from summer vacation last week, but were held out due to the unrest.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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