Michael Brown was shot and killed by Ferguson police officer on August 9th 2014.
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Brown’s death also was a catalyst for the Black Lives Matter movement, which rebukes police treatment of minorities and has grown following several other killings of black men and boys by police, such as Tamir Rice in Cleveland and Philando Castile in Minnesota.
Shots rang out last night during a protest in Ferguson marking the second anniversary of Michael Brown’s death.
Several people were injured in Ferguson Tuesday night, at least one seriously, after a protester was hit by a auto on West Florissant Ave. The vehicle allegedly hit one protestor so hard that he “flew into the air and his shoes were knocked off”.
The officer who fired the fatal shot at Brown, Darren Wilson, was not indicted in connection with the shooting.
Witness Sharon Cowan told AP news agency that the driver of the vehicle that ploughed through the crowd: “knocked the shoes off his feet”.
Ferguson spokesman Jeff Small said police responded to reports of gunfire but so far had found no evidence that anyone had been struck.
Demonstrators remained on the scene. Some witnesses alleged Brown had his hands in the air (leading to protesters chanting “hands up, don’t shoot” as they marched after Brown’s death) while others allege he was running towards the officer.
An officer’s order to clear a street prompted a shouting match between protesters and police.
Protesters, including Ashley Bernaugh (right), confront police during a rally protesting the shooting of Michael Brown, 18, by police in Ferguson, Mo.
A St. Louis County grand jury and the U.S. Justice Department determined that no charges should be filed against Wilson, who resigned that November.
The federal government, alleging a pattern and practice of unconstitutional police conduct, sued the city in February after city leaders voted to change the terms of a deal negotiators had been hashing out for months.
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A couple hundred people marked the two-year anniversary by attending Tuesday’s memorial service, with a moment of silence to follow.
