Protests Erupt In St. Louis After White Cop Is Acquitted In Fatal Shooting Of Black Man
Nine people were arrested after a peaceful demonstration turned violent on Saturday evening.
The second wave of protests took place on Saturday evening in St. Louis following the acquittal of a White former police officer who shot and killed a Black man, reports CNN.
Protests erupt in St. Louis after ex-cop is acquitted of first-degree murder in 2011 shooting of Anthony Lamar Smith https://t.co/ScT9Eezfz8 pic.twitter.com/2sNM6LEgug
— CNN (@CNN) September 16, 2017
Six years ago, officer Jason Stockley fatally shot 24-year-old Anthony Lamar Smith after a high-speed car chase that began as an attempted drug bust, the news outlet writes. Stockley was acquitted of first-degree murder and other criminal charges on Friday, despite video evidence of Stockley saying he would kill Smith and video showing him apparently planting a gun in Smith's car after shooting the suspect.
Jason Stockley killed Anthony Lamar Smith, 24, in 2011. He fired 5 shots from a dept gun while carrying an unauthorized AK-47. pic.twitter.com/XbCpK76IGM
— ashley yates (@brownblaze) August 2, 2017
On Saturday, scores of peaceful demonstrators walked the streets of downtown St. Louis to express their dismay over the case's outcome. "Eventually I just had to come out and do something," a protester told CNN. "It feels like a parade for peace."
As the demonstration continued, chaos ensued. According to CNN, a group of demonstrators threw rocks, bricks, and projectiles with paint at law enforcement officials who were trying to break up the large crowd. Other protesters reportedly broke storefront windows of local businesses. Police officials say nine people were arrested following the mayhem on Saturday night.
The events that occurred on Saturday mirrored some of what took place during the demonstration on Friday, including spurts of violence in the midst of a peaceful protest. According to a tweet posted by the St. Louis, Missouri police department, 33 people were arrested and 11 law enforcement officials were injured on Friday, reports the source.
Smith's loved ones say they will continue to fight for justice. "(My son) wasn't wrong. I felt like the verdict was wrong," said his mother, Annie Smith, according to CNN. "The judge made the wrong decision. … Justice wasn't served. I (didn't) get … justice. I could never be at peace."
The mother of Anthony Lamar Smith speaks out after former police officer Jason Stockley was found not guilty of murdering him. #STLVerdict pic.twitter.com/eScQ6lbt5P
— NowThis Newsroom (@newsroom) September 16, 2017
Racial tensions in Missouri have been heightened since the death of Michael Brown—an unarmed Black teenager who was fatally shot by a White police officer in 2014.
SOURCE: CNN
NAACP Saw This Coming: Missouri White Ex-Cop Acquitted Of Killing Anthony Lamar Smith
Black Off-Duty Officer Shot By White Cop In St. Louis
62 Black Men And Boys Killed By Police
Anthony Lamar Smith	, Cop Shooting	, Jason Stockley	, Police Brutality	, Racism	, St. Louis