State Of Emergency Declared In Ferguson Following Police Shootings [Photos]

A peaceful day in Ferguson turned into an unruly evening after 56 people (including Cornel West, DeRay McKesson and Johnetta Elzie) were arrested, and at least three people were shot.

“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,” St. Louis County Executive Steve 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.”

Yesterday, August 9, began with hundreds marching throughout the city to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the death of unarmed teen Mike Brown at the hands of former officer Darren Wilson during an alleged physical altercation. Around the 3:30 am this morning, a shootout between six people transpired and one of the suspects reportedly shot at responding police as he was making a getaway. Four detectives gave chase and fired at the suspect, leaving him in critical condition.

He has since been identified as Tyrone Harris Jr. and his father told USA TODAY that he was a close friend of the slain Mike Brown. Harris faces four counts of assault on law enforcement in the first degree, five counts of armed criminal action, and one count of discharging or shooting a firearm at a motor vehicle.

“There is a small group of people out there who are intent on making sure we don’t have peace that prevails,” St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar told the Associated Press. “That’s just the bottom line on this and that’s just unfortunate…We can’t afford to have this kind of violence.”

Peruse through the pictures of State of Emergency Ferguson 2015 down below.