Man hurt in Ferguson firing
Print Edition
A MAN who American authorities say opened fire on officers in Ferguson, Missouri, on the anniversary of an unarmed black teen’s death was critically wounded when the officers shot back, St Louis County’s police chief said early yesterday.
Chief Jon Belmar said at a news conference that officers had been tracking the man, who they believed was armed, during a protest marking the death of Michael Brown, 18, whose killing by a white Ferguson police officer brought greater scrutiny on how police interact with black communities.
The anniversary of Brown’s killing has sparked days of renewed protests, though until Sunday they had been peaceful and without any arrests. For the first time in three consecutive nights of demonstrations, some officers were dressed in riot gear, including bullet-proof vests and helmets with shields. Police at one point early yesterday shot smoke to disperse a lingering crowd, Belmar said.
The man approached the officers, who were in an unmarked police van, and opened fire, Belmar said. The officers returned fire from inside the vehicle and then pursued the man on foot when he ran. The man again fired on the officers, the chief said, and all four officers fired back. He was struck and fell.
The man was taken to a hospital, where Belmar said he was in “critical, unstable” condition.
The shooting happened shortly after a separate incident that the chief called “an exchange of gunfire between two groups” rang out around 11:15pm on Sunday while protesters were gathered on West Florissant Avenue, a business zone that saw rioting and looting last year after Brown’s killing.
Several other peaceful events earlier on Sunday were held to mark the anniversary.
Brown’s father, Michael Brown Sr, led a march through town. It started at the site where Brown was fatally shot by officer Darren Wilson. A grand jury and the US Department of Justice declined to prosecute Wilson, who resigned in November.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
