St. Louis police said they no longer consider a protest at a downtown intersection peaceful and the asked that demonstrators leave the area just hours after a judge on Friday acquitted a white police officer in the shooting death of a black man after a high-speed chase in 2011.
Four police officers were injured and 13 demonstrators were arrested, the St. Louis Police Department announced Friday evening.
The police department released video footage of a number of demonstrators doing damage to a police vehicle.
Hundreds of protesters marched through city streets after Circuit Judge Timothy Wilson announced Friday that white former St. Louis police officer Jason Stockley was not guilty of first-degree murder in the 2011 death of 24-year-old Anthony Lamar Smith, a black suspect.
Men hold rifles on Friday as they walk down with a group of protesters in downtown St. Louis, after a judge found a white former St. Louis police officer, Jason Stockley, not guilty of first-degree murder in the death of a black man, Anthony Lamar Smith, who was fatally shot following a high-speed chase in 2011
Missouri is an open carry state, meaning that it is legal for those licensed to carry a firearm to do so in public
Stockley (left) was aquitted on Friday in the 2011 death of Smith (right, with his daughter)
Protesters had surrounded a police vehicle in front of the old police building near Tucker Boulevard and Clark Avenue and were damaging it with rocks.
Police approached and tried to secure the vehicle and protesters threw rocks and pieces of curbing at them.
Police then used pepper spray on the protesters.
In a tweet, the police department said the protesters were ignoring commands and violating the law and were subject to arrest.
Protesters march through the streets carrying a Black Lives Matter sign following the verdict
A man rides a bike as police in riot gear stand watch in downtown St. Louis
A protester writes ‘Black Lives Matter’ on the ground with a chalk during the demonstrations
Members of National Park Service scuffle with protesters on the steps of the Old Courthouse after the not guilty verdict was announced
Police also tweeted images of the rocks, water bottles, and pieces of concrete that were thrown at officers.
It was a diverse crowd that included people of various races and ages.
Lawmakers and ministers were among those who joined the protesters.
Some of the protesters openly carried rifles, which is legal in Missouri.
There have been no reports of any weapons being fired.
Many protesters carried ‘Black Lives Matter’ signs.
A variety of events have been canceled because of the protests, including some high school sports and a performance by the St. Louis symphony.
A protester marches with a firearm after the not guilty verdict was announced
‘It is our duty to fight for our freedom,’ shouts LaShell Eikerenkoetter of Jennings, Missouri
A protester is doused with milk to counter the effects of pepper spray which was used by police
Though the demonstrations were largely peaceful, St. Louis police later reported that violent incidents had taken place
St. Louis interim police chief Lawrence O’Toole asked that people upset with the acquittal demonstrate peacefully. Protesters are seen above chanting outside the courthouse after the verdict
A woman marching downtown holds up a sign that reads ‘Murderers Are In Uniform’ during the protests
Members of National Park Service watch as protesters pass the Old Courthouse
Protesters are seen above yelling at law enforcement officers on the steps of the Old Courthouse
Peter Merideth, a Democratic state lawmaker from St. Louis who joined protesters, said from what he’s seen, ‘the protesters have been largely absolutely nonviolent.’
Merideth is white. He said, ‘It’s important for there to be white leaders standing here, not for our voices to be heard, but just to show support for the voices that need to be heard.’
US Rep. William Lacy Clay of Missouri said he’s outraged by the verdict.
Clay is a Democrat who represents the St. Louis area.
He said in a statement Friday that Stockley violated several police department regulations and showed a ‘total disregard’ for Smith.
He said justice has been ‘cruelly denied’ for Smith, his family and the community.
Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill and Republican Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri both issued statements Friday expressing hope that people will come together to avoid the divisions that occurred after a white police officer killed 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson in 2014.
St. Louis Circuit Judge Timothy Wilson handed down the decision on Friday
And Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens acknowledged the verdict causes pain for many people but asked those who choose to protest the verdict to do so peacefully.
Among the protesters was the Rev. Clinton Stancil, who is black.
He’s a pastor at Wayman AME Church in St. Louis. He said, ‘Cops again are able to shoot our people down with impunity.’
St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson said she hopes city residents will come together despite their differences over the acquittal.
Krewson said in a statement early Friday that she’s praying for Smith’s loved ones.
She also offered prayers for police, the judge who issued the verdict and ‘citizens who find no comfort, or justice.’
The mayor encouraged St. Louis residents to show each other compassion and recognize that they all ‘rise and fall together.’
St. Louis interim police chief Lawrence O’Toole asked that people upset with the acquittal demonstrate peacefully.
In a statement released shortly after the verdict, O’Toole says the department understands that emotions are running high but that the judge’s verdict should be respected.
O’Toole said his department’s top priority is protecting and serving citizens.
He said the department is committed to protecting free speech rights but is also committed to upholding the city’s laws.
At one point, a group of the protesters stood in front of a city bus filled with officers in riot gear, blocking it from moving forward.
The bus backed up and protesters again tried to stop it, with a few throwing water bottles.
The bus moved less than a block before police in riot gear began pushing back the crowd.
The head of the NAACP St. Louis asked President Donald Trump and the Justice Department to immediately review Stockley’s acquittal
A cop and a protester stand face to face during the protests on Friday
Cops are seen huddled together in St. Louis on Friday during the protests. One woman holds up her phone to record them
Some of the protesters yelled at the cops, while others remained stone-faced
A woman drags an American flag, considered by many to be a disrespectful act, during the protest on Friday
As protesters resisted, two women told The Associated Press that police used pepper spray.
Both women’s faces had been doused with milk, which is used to counter the effects of pepper spray.
The head of the NAACP St. Louis asked President Donald Trump and the Justice Department to immediately review Stockley’s acquittal.
St. Louis Public Radio reports that in a letter sent Friday, St. Louis NAACP president Adolphus Pruitt said the Justice Department needed to give immediate attention to the case ‘to get to the truth of what happened and to ensure that justice has been served.’
Pruitt said the community has lost faith in local authorities to fairly handle such cases.
He cited the remarks from Albert Watkins, the attorney for Smith’s fiancee. Watkins said ruling was ‘appallingly contrary’ to evidence in the case.
Watkins said the family disagrees with the judge’s ruling that the state didn’t meet its burden of proof for a finding that the officer was guilty of murder.
Watkins and Smith’s fiance, Christina Wilson, on Thursday appealed for calm and non-violent protest no matter what verdict was issued.
Wells Fargo Advisors, brokerage and investment firm Stifel and Nestle Purina PetCare all sent thousands of employees home Friday after the acquittal.
And an Alzheimer’s Walk scheduled for Saturday in downtown St. Louis was postponed.