Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

Ferguson

Potshots, tear gas, snipers and curfews: 'Fighting a war with unarmed citizens' in Ferguson

The continued protests in Ferguson over Michael Brown’s death have seen unrest in the town.

Police Shooting Missouri AP / Press Association Images AP / Press Association Images / Press Association Images

POLICE FIRED TEAR gas last night in another night of unrest in the Missouri town where a white police officer shot and killed an unarmed black teenager, just hours after President Barack Obama called for calm.

Police Shooting Missouri AP / Press Association Images AP / Press Association Images / Press Association Images

US National Guard troops rolled into Ferguson earlier in the day, but they kept a low profile as police in riot gear dispersed about 100 demonstrators around 11 pm (4am GMT), arresting several of them.

Several rounds of gunfire – described by a senior police officer as “potshots in the area” — were heard, adding to tension that has gripped this St Louis suburb since the fatal shooting of 18-year-old student Michael Brown.

Police Shooting Missouri AP / Press Association Images AP / Press Association Images / Press Association Images

His death, and the heavy-handed police response, has reignited a national debate about race and law enforcement in the United States.

Obama, the nation’s first African-American president, said he was sending Attorney General Eric Holder to Ferguson tomorrow as Washington pursues a civil rights investigation into the case.

Police Shooting Missouri AP / Press Association Images AP / Press Association Images / Press Association Images

Obama said there was no excuse for local police to employ “excessive force” and urged the state of Missouri to make only “limited” use of the National Guard.

Arrival of National Guard

By late afternoon, about 200 Missouri National Guard soldiers arrived in Ferguson, with snipers seen posted on rooftops near a police command center. The troops are operating under Missouri Highway Patrol supervision.

Police Shooting Missouri AP / Press Association Images AP / Press Association Images / Press Association Images

The reinforcements allowed State Governor Jay Nixon to lift an overnight curfew, but tempers were still running high amid controversy over Brown’s death.

“They’re supposed to protect the American citizens, but they’re fighting a war with unarmed citizens,” said Ron Henry, who wore a T-shirt with the phrase “stop killing us.”

Police Shooting Missouri Rapper Nelly, center, walks the streets with protesters AP / Press Association Images AP / Press Association Images / Press Association Images

Amid the trouble, Getty Images photographer Scott Olson was arrested for unknown reasons, the agency said. He was later released.

As night fell, several hundred people took part in fresh protests after police with plastic handcuffs moved crowds of demonstrators into designated zones to clear a main street in the town that had been the scene of violent protests.

Police Shooting Missouri Capt. Ron Johnson of the Missouri Highway Patrol is surrounded by media after meeting with protesters AP / Press Association Images AP / Press Association Images / Press Association Images

Protesters were not allowed stop and gather, and were directed to keep moving.

Residents were on edge, after the previous night saw rioters loot stores and throw Molotov cocktails.

Brown was shot dead in broad daylight on a residential street last Saturday by Darren Wilson, a 28-year-old white police officer.

Police Shooting Missouri AP / Press Association Images AP / Press Association Images / Press Association Images

A forensic pathologist retained by the victim’s family revealed that the student had been shot at least six times — twice in the head.

Different versions of the shooting have emerged, with police sources saying there was a scuffle during which Brown tried to seize the policeman’s weapon, while witnesses have alleged that Brown had his hands up and was not resisting when he was shot.

Three autopsies

The Washington Post said traces of marijuana were found in Brown’s system.

A total of three autopsies have been requested — by local authorities, the family and the Justice Department.

Police Shooting Missouri AP / Press Association Images AP / Press Association Images / Press Association Images

Officials told news media that a Missouri grand jury could hear evidence in the case as early as Wednesday.

“Gulf of mistrust”

Obama warned of a “gulf of mistrust” between residents and police in many cities and towns across America, particularly in those where racial minorities feel excluded from opportunities for a better life.

Police Shooting Missouri Protestors autograph a sketch of Michael Brown during a protest AP / Press Association Images AP / Press Association Images / Press Association Images

“To a community in Ferguson that is rightly hurting and looking for answers, let me call once again for us to seek some understanding rather than simply holler at each other,” he said.

In too many communities, too many young men of colour are left behind and seen only as objects of fear.

Police Shooting Missouri AP / Press Association Images AP / Press Association Images / Press Association Images

Former New York chief medical examiner Michael Baden, who examined Brown’s body on behalf of his family, said Monday he found no evidence of an alleged struggle between Brown and the officer.

Wilson is said to have been hurt in the incident, and Baden said that he had not examined the police officer.

Police Shooting Missouri AP / Press Association Images AP / Press Association Images / Press Association Images

The absence of gunpowder on Brown’s body indicated that the muzzle of the gun was probably at least a foot or two away — or as much as 10 metres — Baden added.

He stressed that his findings were preliminary.

- © AFP, 2014

Read: Explainer: What is happening in Ferguson, Missouri?>

Read: Two wounded by gunfire as violence ramps up in Ferguson protests>

Your Voice
Readers Comments
106
    Submit a report
    Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
    Thank you for the feedback
    Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.