Reportedly, the auto drove into a group of protesters on Tuesday night (Aug. 9), who were blocking a street during the gathering.
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People at the protest, estimated to number about 75, can be heard saying: “the auto just hit him”. A vehicle speeding down West Florissant Avenue, where roughly 75 protesters gathered not far from where Brown died, struck a protester who was in the street. “Hit him, and he rolled and he bounced”, she added.
Video showed people screaming as the collision took place, with gunshots heard less than a minute later. Some demonstrators were blocking the street until police made them move, and majority were on the sidewalk except for the one man.
According the AP, a spokesman for Ferguson said it appears the driver did not hit the protester deliberately. Police are asking for the public’s help to identify the shooting suspects.
Brown’s death sparked months of sometimes violent protests both in Ferguson and across America following subsequent police killings of unarmed black men in several other cities.
The man who was hit by the auto was taken away from the scene in a private vehicle, thus his condition is now unknown. Reports state that by 10 p.m. the commotion was settled, and everyone had left. He is thought to have been taken to hospital.
The teenager’s father, also called Michael Brown, gave a brief speech at the memorial. He resigned in November 2014.
Weeks said he didn’t recall being thrown to the ground by the vehicle, but somehow did get up and walk away.
The incident occurred during a peaceful memorial for Brown, who was shot by a police officer at the age of 18 in August 2014.
“My son built families up, opened the eyes of the world and let them know this ain’t right”, he said. This color is handsome.
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It also led to a Justice Department investigation that found troubling practices in Ferguson’s criminal justice system, resulting in an agreement this year between the federal agency and the city calling for sweeping changes.
