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St. Louis police shot and killed an 18-year-old suspect after he allegedly pointed a gun at officers after running away from a home where a warrant was being served. During the subsequent protests, police used tear gas to disperse the crowd. 

Reports the Associated Press:

A black 18-year-old fleeing from officers serving a search warrant at a home in a crime-troubled section of St. Louis was shot and killed Wednesday by police after he pointed a gun at them, the city’s police chief said.

The shooting drew protests throughout the day, with many of the roughly 150 people who gathered at the scene Wednesday afternoon questioning the use of deadly force. Some chanted “Black Lives Matter,” a mantra used a year ago after the police shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Brown in nearby Ferguson.

Later Wednesday, police made nine arrests and used tear gas to clear a street after protesters ignored commands and threw glass bottles and rocks at officers, St. Louis Police Chief Sam Dotson said, adding that officers were also responding to reports of burglaries in the area.

At a press conference earlier in the day, Dotson said two suspects fled from the home about noon Wednesday on the city’s north side before the 18-year-old turned and pointed a handgun at the officers, who shot him. That suspect, identified later in a statement by police as Mansur Ball-Bey of St. Louis, died at the scene. Police are searching for the second suspect, who they said is believed to be in his mid- to late teens.

Both officers, who are white, were unharmed, according to a police report.

Police searched the home looking for suspects in prior crimes and reportedly found  four guns and crack cocaine while a man and woman inside the home were arrested.

Unfortunately, cops fudging the facts means it’s increasingly difficult to give them the benefit of a doubt when all we have is their word. Especially considering this happened in St. Louis.

However, if the suspect indeed pointed a gun at officers, that’s not the person you want to invoke #BlackLivesMatter for.

Photo: AP