National Post (National Edition)
FBI probes police killing in St. Louis suburb
UNARMED TEENAGER
A crowd looted and burned stores
FERGUSON, MO. • The FBI was investigating possible civil rights violations after a suburban St. Louis police officer fatally shot an unarmed teenager.
The FBI opened an investigation Monday arising from the death of 18-year-old Michael Brown, said Cheryl Mimura, a spokeswoman for the FBI’s St. Louis field office.
Police say Mr. Brown was shot multiple times Saturday in a scuffle with an officer in Ferguson, a predominantly black suburb.
The killing drew criticism from some civil rights leaders, who referred to the 2012 racially charged shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, an unarmed African-American, by a Florida neighbourhood watch organizer who was acquitted of murder charges.
Civil rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton called the shooting “very disturbing” and said he planned to go to Ferguson to meet with the family.
A candlelight vigil for Mr. Brown was held Sunday and tensions erupted later that night. Nearly three dozen people were arrested after a crowd looted and burned stores, vandalized vehicles and taunted officers.
People took items from a sporting goods store and a cellphone re- tailer, and carted rims away from a tire store. Some climbed atop police cars as the officers with riot shields and batons stood nearby, trying to restrict access to the most seriously affected areas.
Witnesses said the vandals were likely opportunistic outsiders who arrived looking for a chance to steal.
County Police Chief Jon Belmar said that on Saturday, an officer encountered Mr. Brown and another man outside an apartment complex in Ferguson. One of the men pushed the officer into his squad car and they struggled. Chief Belmar said at least one shot was fired from the officer’s gun inside the police car.
Ferguson Police Chief Tom Jackson said authorities were still sorting out what happened inside the police car. It was not clear if Mr. Brown was the man who fought with the officer.
The struggle spilled out into the street, where Mr. Brown was shot multiple times. Chief Belmar said the exact number of shots wasn’t known and that all shell casings at the scene matched the officer’s gun. Police were investigating why the officer shot Mr. Brown, who police have confirmed was unarmed.