Ferguson, Missouri, descended into lawlessness, chaos and fire (main) overnight as violent looters ran riot after a grand jury decided not to indict police Officer Darren Wilson over the fatal shooting of unarmed Michael Brown. A jury of seven men and five women delivered the verdict that Officer Darren Wilson would not face trial for shooting 18-year-old Michael Brown six times on August 9.
Enraged protesters set fire to buildings and cars and looted businesses in Ferguson, Missouri, after a grand jury decided not to indict a white police officer over the death of unarmed black 18-year-old Michael Brown, whose shooting exposed deep racial tensions between African-Americans and police.
Violence flared after the decision was announced by St Louis County Prosecutor Robert McCulloch at around 8:25pm on Monday evening, and continued throughout the evening and into early Tuesday morning.
President Barack Obama and the family of Michael Brown asked for calm. As Obama spoke live from the White House briefing room, television networks showed him on one side of the screen, and violent demonstrations in Ferguson on the other.
Angry crowds took to the streets around the Ferguson Police headquarters after the grand jury determined there was no probable cause to charge Wilson with any crime for the shooting of 18-year-old Brown this past summer.
St Louis police reported heavy gunfire late on Monday in the area near where Brown was shot and killed on August 9 and more than a dozen local businesses were razed to the ground by arsonists. Some reports say that fire fighters have been tackling up to 25 structural fires caused by rioters.
So far there have been 29 arrests, 13 injuries – and no fatalities, with police saying they have not fired any shots.
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Celebration: Protestors parade in the parking lot of a burning auto parts store in Ferguson
Police said that up to 25 structures were razed by rioters in Ferguson
Flames: A local storage facility is set ablaze in Ferguson
Ferguson has been struggling to return to normal after Brown, an 18-year-old black man, was killed by Darren Wilson, a white Ferguson police officer
Up in flames: Police in riot gear stand near a burning car on a street in Ferguson on Monday. Moments after the announcement by St. Louis County's top prosecutor, crowds began pouring into Ferguson streets to protest the decision
Heavily armed police arrive at a business in Dellwood, a neighbouring suburb to Ferguson, as cars in a parking lot next to the building burn
Police put on their gas masks after chasing off looters from a business in Ferguson
Looters run from a gas station as police arrive during the rioting
Crackdown: Police dismount from a vehicle as they chase looters away from a business in Ferguson
Taking stock: Business owners survey damage suffered during rioting in Ferguson
Raid: Looters help themselves to goods from a local Ferguson business
Out of control: Police in riot gear move past a vehicle that continues to burn on the street in Ferguson
Fearsome: A demonstrator flashes a peace sign before a burning police car during clashes between police and protesters over the decision in the shooting death of 18-year-old Brown
Patrol: A police officer and his service dog walk past an auto parts store set ablaze by protestors in Ferguson
So far during the Ferguson protests there have been 29 arrests, 13 injuries – and no fatalities, with police saying they have not fired any shots
Pizza: Firefighters work on extinguishing the burning Little Ceasar's restaurant in Ferguson on Monday night. Some protestors taunted police, broke windows and vandalized cars
Race: A firefighter walks past the burning Little Ceasars restaurant in Ferguson on Monday. Within a few hours, several large buildings were ablaze, and frequent gunfire was heard
Chaos: Police ride on a vehicle past a burning building that was set ablaze by protestors in Ferguson
Blaze: Police warned protesters Monday night to stay away from burning police cars which contain live ammunition. Officers used tear gas to try to disperse some of the gatherings
A car burns on the street after a grand jury returned no indictment in the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri on November 24
The Federal Aviation Administration issued temporary flight restrictions for the city. After three months of waiting for the controversial verdict, Brown's mother, Lesley McSpadden, collapsed in grief as it was announced, screaming 'This is wrong!'
The victim's stepfather screamed 'Burn this b**** down'. Meanwhile, Wilson's attorneys issued a statement in which he thanked 'those who have stood by his side throughout the process'.
Within minutes of the announcement by the county's top prosecutor, crowds began pouring into Ferguson streets to protest the decision. Some taunted police, shattered windows and vandalized cars. Several gunshots were also heard. Officers released tear gas and pepper spray to disperse the gatherings.
Via - Daily Mail
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