North St. Louis Suburb Erupts After Police Allegedly Shoot Unarmed 18-Year Old

Peaceful protests quickly turned to widespread looting and violence in a northern suburb of St. Louis yesterday after a police officer allegedly shot and killed an unarmed 18-year old black man around noon yesterday. Hundreds of police were called into the community of Ferguson after things quickly spun out of control when dozens of eyewitnesses saw a police officer shoot Michael Brown dead in the middle of the street. Police claim there was an altercation between the police officer and Brown and a struggle over a gun, while other eyewitnesses in the neighborhood claimed Brown was minding his own business walking home from a nearby convenience store with a friend when confronted by the police officer. Brown's body laid in the street for hours as larger and larger crowds began gathering. About 100 protesters surrounded the Ferguson police station demanding justice. An impromptu vigil took a bad turn as the day turned into the night. Hundreds began rioting, vandalizing area businesses and looting them. Fires were set and dozens of businesses were destroyed. Dozens have been arrested and several police officers suffered minor injuries. The situation seems to have calmed down early as daylight arrived.