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Despite the torching of a police car and dozens of arrests, police said a second night of protests was "much better" than the arson and widespread violence the night before. Protesters in Ferguson inspired demonstrations across the U.S. VPC
Police officers put out a fire in a police car after protesters burned it in front of City Hall in Ferguson, Mo., Tuesday.(Photo: Tannen Maury, epa)
ST. LOUIS, Mo. — St. Louis Police said they made "multiple arrests" at a protest near City Hall on Wednesday, as demonstrations over a grand jury decision in the police shooting of an unarmed teenager dragged on for a third day.
Protesters had gathered outside the Old Courthouse to hold "mock trials" for Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson and other central figures in the ongoing unrest here.
The demonstration had become "unlawful" after some protesters made contact with officers, police said.
Despite the torching of a police car and scores of arrests, police said early Wednesday that a second night of protests was "much better" than the arson and widespread violence that initially rocked the city after it was made public that a grand jury had decided not to indict Wilson for the shooting death of Michael Brown.
On Tuesday night, the presence of hundreds of additional National Guard troops appeared to help tamp down the unrest, despite a series of tense confrontations.
It was "generally a much better night," St. Louis police chief Jon Belmar said at an early morning news conference. He reported that 44 people had been arrested Tuesday night.
There were still clashes, however, as officers used some tear gas and pepper spray, and demonstrators set a squad car on fire and broke windows at City Hall.
Protesters poured into the streets for a second night following a grand jury's decision not to indict a police officer for shooting 18-year-old Brown.
It also came as Wilson, the 28-year-old white police officer at the center of the case, made his first public comments, telling ABC News that before he fired the fatal shots, the unarmed teenager "grabbed my gun, and he charged me, and he was going to kill me."
"The reason I have a clean conscience is I know I did my job right," Wilson said.
Confrontations Tuesday night were marked with exchanges between police and protesters, with lines of officers firing what looked and smelled like tear gas at unruly protesters and demonstrators tossing the projectiles back at police.
Police used loudspeakers to order protesters and media off Florissant Road or face arrest. They announced, "This is an unlawful assembly,'' prompting much of the crowd to disperse.
A single protester dropped to her knees in the road in front of two police trucks. She was picked up by police.
At least four people, one of them a woman, were detained while protesting in front of the Ferguson Police Department. It was unclear if they were being charged. Several flaming objects were hurled at police.
MORE: Protests across the USA
STORY: Police tactics in Ferguson puzzle residents, experts
Two guns, a Molotov cocktail and items thrown at officers were seized, police said.
Ron Johnson, Missouri State Highway Patrol Captain, said officers had "not seen anything of this magnitude".
"We'll go back tonight and reevaluate so we can have a better day tomorrow," he said.
Earlier in the day, Gov. Jay Nixon, declaring that violence "cannot be repeated,'' tripled the presence of the National Guard.
"Lives and property must be protected. This community deserves to have peace," Nixon said."We will provide safety and security to this region."
"Criminals intent on lawlessness and destruction terrorized this community," he said. "We must do better and we will."
An unbroken Molotov cocktail was collected outside Ferguson City Hall as rioters broke windows and set fire to a police vehicle, St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar said Tuesday morning during a Unified Command briefing.
Ferguson's mayor complained the National Guard deployed too late Monday to prevent destruction after authorities announced a grand jury decision not to indict officer Wilson in the fatal shooting. The killing in August touched off nationwide debate over racial tensions and police practices.
The Guard presence was "ramped up significantly,'' Nixon said. More than 2,200 Guard troops were in the area, up from 700 the day before, to protect homes and businesses.
After dark, as demonstrations resumed in cities across the country, troops stood outside the Ferguson police and fire departments. All but a handful of nearby businesses were closed. Protesters shouted and taunted officers from across the street: "Fight back," and "Please don't shoot me dead."
More than a dozen buildings burned Monday night, other businesses were looted and cars were set on fire. Belmar said there were 21 fires and 61 arrests, 32 for burglary. Three officers were injured in the mayhem, which was spread over four square miles.
Michael Brown, Sr. found out Darren Wilson hadn't been indicted shortly before the world did. Although he disagreed with the decision and how it was announced, he condemned any violence or negative actions in his son's name. VPC
"I am deeply saddened for the people of Ferguson who woke up this morning to see parts of their community in ruins,'' Nixon said. "It's a heartbreaking sight. Seniors afraid to leave the house. School canceled. Kids scared to go outside and play. ... No one deserves this.''
"What they've gone through is unacceptable. No one should have to live like this. No one deserves this."
Asked why more guardsmen weren't deployed Monday night, Nixon said he would not go into "operational" details.
Mayor James Knowles called the delay Monday night "deeply concerning." He said the troops, under the supervision of a unified command, were available but were not deployed when city officials asked.
In anticipation of more unrest, Florissant Road was crowded with crews boarding up businesses Tuesday afternoon.
Baek Lee took stock of his losses at his shop, Beauty World, which was ravaged by looters and set partially on fire. The store is just a stone's throw from the police station, and he didn't board up the store ahead of the announcement because of the cost.
Protesters and demonstrators from across the country took to the streets Tuesday night in support of Michael Brown, the unarmed teen who was killed by a Ferguson, Missouri police officer. VPC
"I couldn't afford it and I thought I should be okay since we are close to the police station," said Lee, as a crew covered broken windows with wood. He and other shopkeepers were embraced by customers who stopped by and offered condolences.
Shahieda Hudson, of St. Louis, brought her daughter, niece and nephew to help clean up an antique store that was ravaged by fire. "I wanted them to feel they were important members of this city, and that they can share their voice in a productive way," she said.
Belmar said it was unclear whether a body found near Ferguson apartments was related to unrest. He said gunfire Monday night forced fire responders to retreat from a building in flames.
The superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Col. Ronald Replogle, called Monday night "a disaster" and vowed that Tuesday would be different.
Protests continued throughout the afternoon. Following a rally outside the federal courthouse in downtown St. Louis, several hundred demonstrators walked onto Interstate 44, briefly blocking traffic near the Edward Jones Dome. Police said some protesters threw objects at police.
Earlier in the day, the lawyer representing Brown's family blasted the prosecutor, Robert McCulloch, after a grand jury declined to charge the white officer in the Aug. 9 shooting death of the unarmed, black teen.
"We saw how completely unfair this process was," lawyer Benjamin Crump said. "We object as publicly and loudly as we can on behalf of Michael Brown Jr.'s family that this process is broken. The process should be indicted."
Crump accused McCulloch of defending Wilson rather than prosecuting him — of failing to put his "best case" before the grand jury.
McCulloch released more than 1,000 pages of documents and testimony from the grand jury proceedings. That included testimony from Wilson, who said Brown attacked him in the patrol car, forcing him to shoot. Witnesses accounts differed on whether Brown's hands were raised, moments later, when Wilson fired the fatal shots on a Ferguson street, McCulloch said.
With the decision not to indict Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson, the St. Louis Prosecuting Attorney's Office has released documents and evidence pertaining to the grand jury investigation. VPC
Wilson remains on administrative leave from the police force.
Attorney General Eric Holder voiced disappointment at the violence and said two federal investigations are underway, one into the Brown shooting and another into the Ferguson police.
"The department's investigations will continue to be thorough, they will continue to be independent and they remain ongoing,'' Holder said. "They will be conducted rigorously and in a timely manner.''
Crump said the problem is more pervasive than Ferguson.
"All across America, young people of color are being killed by police officers," Crump said. "And local prosecutors are putting together these 'unbiased' grand juries that continue to yield the same results."
Wilson's lawyers issued a statement praising the grand jury's decision and saying the officer is grateful to his supporters.
"Law enforcement personnel must frequently make split-second and difficult decisions," the lawyers wrote. "Officer Wilson followed his training and followed the law."
Contributing: Michael Winter, John Bacon, Jane Onyanga-Omara, William M. Welch, USA TODAY
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