Vandalism, looting after vigil for Missouri man

FERGUSON, Mo. (AP) — People smashed car windows and carried away armloads of looted goods from stores Sunday night after thousands of people packed a suburban St. Louis area at a vigil for an unarmed black man who was shot and killed by a police officer.

The candlelight gathering was for 18-year-old Michael Brown, who police said was shot multiple times Saturday after a scuffle involving the officer, Brown and another person in Ferguson, a predominantly black suburb of the city.

Afterward, some people looted a convenience store. Several other stores along a main road near the shooting scene were broken into and looted, including a check-cashing store, a boutique and a small grocery store.

People were seen carrying bags of food and toilet paper. TV footage showed streams of people walking out of a liquor store carrying bottles of alcohol, and in some cases protesters were standing atop police cars or taunting officers who stood stoic, often in riot gear.

Other witnesses reported seeing people vandalize police cars and kick in windows. Television footage showed windows busted out of a TV station van.

"Right now, the small group of people are creating a huge mess," Ferguson's mayor, James Knowles, told St. Louis KTVI-TV. "Contributing to the unrest that is going on is not going to help. ... We're only hurting ourselves, only hurting our community, hurting our neighbors. There's nothing productive from this."

St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley said there were no reports of injuries but confirmed widespread property damage. "Right now I'm just worried about people, not property," he said.

Pat Washington, a spokeswoman for Dooley, said later that there was one instance she knew of in which tear gas was used. There were scattered media reports of gunfire but authorities did not immediately confirm any.
County Police Chief Jon Belmar said the shooting occurred after an officer encountered two people — one of whom was Brown — on the street near an apartment complex in Ferguson.
Belmar said one of the men pushed the officer back into his squad car and a struggle began. Belmar said at least one shot was fired from the officer's gun inside the police car. Ferguson Police Chief Tom Jackson said authorities were still sorting out what happened inside the police car. It was not clear if Brown was the man who struggled with the officer.

The struggle spilled out into the street, where Brown was shot multiple times. Belmar said the exact number of shots wasn't known, but "it was more than just a couple." He also said all shell casings found at the scene matched the officer's gun. Police are still investigating why the officer shot Brown, who police have confirmed was unarmed.

Jackson said the second person has not been arrested or charged. Authorities aren't sure if that person was unarmed, Jackson said.
"We're outraged because yet again a young African-American man has been killed by law enforcement," said John Gaskin, who serves on both the St. Louis County and national boards of directors for the NAACP.

The Rev. Al Sharpton called the shooting "very disturbing" and said he planned to go to Ferguson to meet with the family.

St. Louis County Police Department is in charge of the investigation, and Dooley said he will request an FBI investigation. The U.S. Justice Department said Attorney General Eric Holder had instructed staff to monitor developments.

The race of the officer involved in the shooting has not been disclosed. He has been with the Ferguson Police Department for six years, Belmar said, and has been placed on paid administrative leave.

http://news.yahoo.com/vandalism-looting-vigil-missouri-man-043816425.html

what is it with always breaking up and looting their Own Neighborhood when things like that occur?

I know, doesn't seem like a normal, rational response. Sharpton will be there soon to, once again, fan the flames of racism.

Hope someone soon makes him lick that Poopstirring Spoon!

They could have absentmindedly thought those stores were open and everything was free.

In memory of.

I don't know, Perhaps they prefer thier neighborhoods to look this way?

These people make me sick. They take a tragedy and use it to try to give credit or an excuse for their criminal activities.

These ferrels wont even let an investigation happen before they start protesting.

Honestly I haven't seen one credible witness yet or one that can actually put a sentence together without using words like dis, dat, ni**a, bruh, crib, yo etc.

I am tired of people getting tried in the court of public opinion. Not to mention the Dishonorable Al Sharpton announced that day he was heading there and the family couldn't wait to hire an attorney (the one that unsuccessfully represented the violent druggie hoodlum Trevon Martin).

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/social-media-posts-from-scene-of-ferguson-shooting/html_c86d87f2-226b-5074-b8a8-c82c299195dc.html

I hope there is a thorough examination, police should not be above the law and are just as human as anyone else in their capacity to be criminal or crooked or bullies.

I applaud those like the victims family and probably Sharpton for calling out for peace and justice.

So that they don't have to carry the stolen stuff so far to get it home.

It's a cultural thang.

Chances are, they'll snag an innocent bystander and railroad him/her into prison.

Like the dude the LA cops found dead. He was gagged, blindfolded, had his hands tied behind his back and shot four times in the back of the head. Cops ruled it as an apparent suicide.

I'm sure there will be a thorough examination of the fact as is done with any crime. FBI involved, you betcha. What is the need for riots and the "Al Sharpton type racist" to get involved? Police are not above the law and will not be in this case.

the need is to draw the kind of attention that ensures a THOROUGH investigation, not one that is just for show where everything is immediately deemed 'justified' as well as to have some public support for the family,,,,,,

ya know,, how Hannity or Oreilly get 'involved' for vets or patriots,,,or Limbaugh gets 'involved' for non minorities,,,,etc,,,,


the looting and rioting needs to be investigated as well,, but mostly I am concerned with not allowing murderers to wear badges and give the whole group (of police) a bad name,,,

Like chewing bubblegum and walking at the same time.

Both issues can be addressed with the same gusto.

What mentality?

It's like the establishment, war-monging, Repulsicons, invading Iraq and Afghanistan for the actions of the Saudis on 9/11.....

or this admin blaming a youtube video for the attack in Benghazi

but it's not about politics, oil, the banks, the stock market, the military industrial complex, or the petro dollar

sheeple need an enemy to blame so we can be persuade to give up our rights and guns for security..... only police and govt should have the power of force!


Oh wait! It's all about the police shooting an unarmed boy..... but that happens every day, and even the NEA has militarized swat teams now... and FEMA, EPA, IRS, USPS, etc, etc!

Never mind

Investigation, yes, overreaction no. There are ways and methods in place to do what needs to be done, in a civilized, peaceful manner. There is already enough "attention" to the situation. I'm not sure, but I don't think that there are many murderers wearing badges.

yes, peaceful protest and organization is not overreaction and is welcome to draw attention to and keep attention on matters that a community feel is important ,,,,

I don't believe there are many murderers wearing badges either, which is why the message should be maintained that they wont be tolerated when they are found.

Peaceful protest and organization is fine. Rioting, stealing and destroying is not acceptable behavior. Has Sharpton called for an end to the this?