Source: Protest in front of Ferguson Police Station (Michael B. Thomas/Getty I / Getty
Early Monday St. Louis County’s police chief said a man opened fire on officers in Ferguson, Missouri, on the one-year anniversary of Michael Brown’s death, the black, unarmed 18-year-old who was killed by a white Ferguson police officer and kicked off the national “Black Lives Matter” movement.
The St. Louis County police chief also said that the suspect was critically wounded when the officers shot back. At a news conference Chief Jon Belmar made it clear that officers had been tracking the man, who they believed was armed, during a protest marking Brown’s death.
Belmar said the man allegedly approached the officers, who were in an unmarked police van, and opened fire. The officers then shot back from inside the vehicle and pursued the man on foot when he fled the scene.
The chief said the suspect then opened fire on the officers again, and all four returned fire which is when he was struck and fell. The man was then taken to a hospital.
Authorities didn’t immediately release the identities of anyone involved, however according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch a man named Tyrone Harris told them that the injured man was his son, Tyrone Harris Jr. According to the elder Harris his son had just gotten out of surgery shortly after 3 a.m.
None of the officers involved in the incident was seriously injured and all four have been put on standard administrative leave. Belmar said the officers were not wearing body cameras at the time. The shooting took place shortly after what the chief called “an exchange of gunfire between two groups” rang out around 11:15 p.m. Sunday while protesters were gathered on West Florissant Avenue.
The chief said Harris Jr., the suspect who fired on officers had a semi-automatic 9MM gun that was stolen last year from Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Before the gunfire, tensions were already running high when protesters were blocking traffic and confronting police.
For the first time in three consecutive nights of demonstrations, some officers were dressed in riot gear, including bullet-proof vests and helmets with shields. Belmar also said that police made an unknown number of arrests and early Monday smoke had to be shot to disperse the lingering crowd.
There were several other peaceful events earlier Sunday were held to mark the anniversary. Michael Brown Sr., Brown’s father led a march through town and later, a few hundred people turned out at Greater St. Mark Family Church for a service to remember Brown.
However some organizers of the weekend activities pledged Monday would be a day of civil, but no specific details were offered.
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