The Federal Bureau of Investigation opened a probe Monday into the shooting of an unarmed teenager in this St. Louis suburb, as business owners cleaned up from a night of looting and widespread property damage and local officials called for calm.
The FBI will conduct a parallel investigation to one already under way by St. Louis county police officials into a shooting by a Ferguson police officer that left Michael Brown dead. The FBI review will focus on possible civil-rights violations in the shooting of the 18-year-old black male, a federal law-enforcement official said.
Mr. Brown's death on Saturday touched off protests in the community, with a vigil Sunday night giving way to mass looting and property destruction. Police reported arresting 32 people as they responded to thousands of calls, including reports of shots fired and looting at stores such as Wal-Mart, Walgreens and Foot Locker.
"We had a tremendous amount of property damage. And as it was, we had no injuries or fatalities," said St. Louis County Police chief Jon Belmar, who had 500 officers on scene to help quell the unrest.
Protests continued Monday in this city of about 21,000 residents, two-thirds of whom are black. Outside police headquarters, a small group of protesters confronted officers in riot gear, including shields and batons. Many local businesses were closed for the day.
One protester held a sign that said, "Mike Brown was shot multiple times in cold blood and unarmed!! Justice 4 Mike.
" Some protesters were holding their hands up when they saw police, saying "Hands up, don't shoot," which became a rallying cry.
Protesters said there has been a history of tension between Ferguson police and African-American residents. Rika Tyler, a 21-year-old student, came out to protest the shooting, which happened near where she was babysitting over the weekend.
"I always hear about the police doing things like this, but I saw the body and I thought I have to get out and do something," she said. "I feel like it could have been me."
The shooting is garnering national attention from civil-rights activists. Rev. Alsharpton said he's been in touch with Mr. Brown's family and stands with them as they look to a achieve a fair investigation and justice. Florida attorney Benjamin L. Crump, who represented the family of Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old African-American shot to death by a Florida neighborhood watchman, has been hired by family of Mr. Brown.
County officials called for calm Monday, and while they didn't expect further looting, officers stood ready to respond. St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley said steps were being taken to keep residents safe and businesses protected in the days ahead. He added that while people were frustrated, they need to be patient because of the complexities surrounding the investigation.
"I want the truth, and you want the truth," Mr. Dooley said at a news conference Monday. "As we go forward, we have to remember this is going to be an open and transparent process. It is not going to be a quick process."
Authorities said the shooting occurred around noon Saturday, when a Ferguson police officer encountered two men in the street.
When the officer tried to exit his vehicle, Mr. Belmar said one of the two, an 18-year-old male, pushed the officer back into the cruiser. The suspect allegedly assaulted the officer in the car and the two struggled over his gun.
At least one shot was fired inside the vehicle. A few moments later, Mr. Belmar said the officer allegedly fired multiple shots outside the vehicle that killed the suspect, about 35 feet away from the cruiser. The shell casings recovered all belonged to the police officer's gun.
Police haven't identified the officer involved in the shooting. The officer has been placed on leave.
Source: The wall Street Journal
