St. Louis County police have released surveillance video footage they say shows Tyrone Harris Jr., the 18-year-old black suspect who was critically wounded after being shot by police Sunday night in Ferguson, minutes before he fired a gun at plainclothes officers.
Advertisement
“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”, St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger said in a statement Monday.
A group of former military and police, known as “The Oath Keepers”, was spotted “patrolling” the streets of Ferguson, Missouri, with AR-15 style rifles as protests and unrest over the anniversary of Michael Brown’s death continued Monday night, leading some protesters to claim the group is getting preferential treatment from local law enforcement because it is mostly comprised of white men.
Four officers are now on administrative leave for shooting 18-year-old Tyrone Harris, who is now in critical condition at a nearby hospital. Work crews were cleaning and repairing a parking lot where a some demonstrators had gathered gravel to throw at police. The video, according to police, “shows Harris grab a handgun out of his waistband once shots are fired during the protest”.
A state of emergency was declared, as officers in riot gear forced people off the streets on Monday night.
The violence, according to Belmar, erupted Sunday when two groups of agitators apparently began shooting at each other, disputing what had been peaceful demonstrations.
Hours later, police arrested dozens of protesters who blocked rush-hour traffic on Interstate 70 a few kilometres from Ferguson. The order puts St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar in charge of police operations in the city and surrounding areas, CNN reports. “I don’t think it’s going to happen in my lifetime – where we can come together and there’s no division”, Hamilton said.
In all, approximately 144 protesters were arrested around the St. Louis area Monday.
The shooting of Mr Brown – and a subsequent decision not to indict Officer Wilson – led to violent unrest and set off nationwide protests and intense scrutiny of heavy-handed police tactics in a series of cases that ended in the deaths of unarmed blacks.
Earlier Monday, almost 60 people were arrested for blocking the entrance to the federal courthouse in downtown St. Louis, where they called for the dissolution of the Ferguson Police Department and asked the federal Department of Justice to “do your job”. When protesters refused to move from the streets, officers started making arrests and dousing people in irritant. He is being held on $100,000 bond. Harris said shortly after 3 a.m. that his son had just gotten out of surgery.
Belmar described the individuals involved in the incident as “criminals” and distinguished them from protesters who are calling for positive changes in the community.
Advertisement
18, is facing 10 felony charges after he allegedly exchanged gunfire with the detectives, who were in an unmarked police van, in the 9200 block of West Florissant.
