Protests in Ferguson, Mo., just northwest of the city of St. Louis, began peacefully enough on Sunday. With a report of thousands taking to the streets to protest the shooting of 18-year-old Mike Brown by city police, the situation turned violent as the night wore on.
As we reported in the early hours of the morning, St. Louis rapper Tef Poe tweeted that riots began to break out in Ferguson after a relatively calm string of all-day demonstrations. A quick scan of social media suggests that police crammed protesters into a corner and wouldn’t allow them to leave an area. Other tweets blame the police for setting the tension in the air by coming to the protests decked in riot gear and police dogs.
KMOV reporter Brittany Noble was on the ground for much of the night, and the NBC affiliate released a detailed report this morning regarding the looting. According to KMOV, 32 people were arrested and two officers were injured in the riots and clashes that took place.
More from KMOV:
Brian Schellman, with the St. Louis County Police Department, said close to 300 police officers from at least 15 different departments were called to Ferguson when angry mobs began smashing windows, setting fires and looting businesses in the area.
Schellman said a St. Louis County officer injured his knee while at the Foot Locker store. He said another officer was injured when he had a brick thrown at him. Throughout the evening, numerous cop cars sustained damage and at least one officer had shots fired at him. Police said shots were also fired at a police helicopter in the area.
Police say that the number of persons arrested will rise throughout the day. There was a planned rally to take place today in Ferguson, although officials warned that anyone showing up to the 10:00 a.m. CT event will be arrested.
Watch KMOV’s report below.
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Photo: KMOV
