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 Gov. Jay Nixon signed an executive order deploying the U.S. state
militia, saying demonstrators had thrown Molotov cocktails and shot
at police as well as a civilian, a description of the night's events
diverging widely from some eyewitness accounts.
“Tonight, a day of hope, prayers, and peaceful protests was marred
by the violent criminal acts of an organized and growing number of
individuals, many from outside the community and state, whose
actions are putting the residents and businesses of Ferguson at
risk," Nixon said in a statement on his website.
A midnight curfew was imposed for the second night in the tense St.
Louis suburb hit by racially charged demonstrations, violence and
looting since Michael Brown, 18, was shot to death on Aug. 9 by
white police officer Darren Wilson.
At around dusk on Sunday, hundreds of protesters in Ferguson
including families with young children fled to safety after police
wearing gas masks and body armor fired tear gas and smoke canisters
to scatter them hours ahead of the curfew.
"The smoke bombs were completely unprovoked," said Anthony Ellis,
45. "It (the protest) was led by kids on bikes. Next you know
they're saying, 'Go home, Go home!'"
The Missouri Highway Patrol said "aggressors" were trying to
infiltrate a law enforcement command post and that armored vehicles
were deployed to ensure public safety.
"We ordered them back. We ordered them back again. After several
attempts, we utilized the smoke to disperse these individuals," said
Highway Patrol Corporal Justin Wheetley.
State Highway Patrol Captain Ron Johnson told a late night news
briefing: "Molotov cocktails were thrown, there were shootings,
looting, vandalism and other acts of violence that clearly appear
not to have been spontaneous."
He was explaining the police tactics against what he said had to
that point been a peaceful demonstration.
"Coordinated acts" by a few in the crowd were "premeditated criminal
acts designed ... to provoke a response," Johnson said. "I had no
alternative but to elevate the level of our response."
He noted most of the protesters were peaceful and blamed the trouble
on "a few people bent on violence and destruction."
Johnson said the trouble began after police responded to the
shooting of a civilian at 8.25 p.m., which was followed by gunfire
directed towards police and Molotov cocktails being thrown. At least
one other person was shot, and several were arrested. No police were
injured.
Officials said Ferguson schools would be closed on Monday.
PRIVATE, FEDERAL AUTOPSIES
A preliminary private autopsy, asked for by Brown's family, showed
the teenager was shot at least six times, the New York Times
reported on Sunday night.
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Quoting Michael M. Baden, former chief medical examiner for the City
of New York, the newspaper reported that Brown was shot twice in the
head, and that the bullets that hit him did not appear to have been
fired from very close range because no gunpowder was detected on his
body. Brown's family was set to appear with Baden on Monday
morning in St. Louis to address the autopsy's findings.
Earlier on Sunday, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder ordered a
federal autopsy of Brown's body, seeking to assure the family and
community there will be a thorough investigation.
Police say Brown was asked by Wilson to move off the road and onto a
sidewalk and that Brown reached into a patrol car and struggled with
Wilson for his service gun and was shot.
A friend of Brown's, Dorian Johnson, 22, and at least one other
witness said Wilson reached out through his car window to grab at
Brown and the teenager was trying to get away when shot. Brown held
up his hands in a sign of surrender but Wilson got out of his patrol
car and shot Brown several times, they said.
Police in Ferguson have come under strong criticism for Brown's
death and their handling of the aftermath.
On Saturday night they also used smoke canisters and tear gas to
drive away protesters who refused to leave the area when the
midnight-to-5 a.m. curfew began. Seven protesters were arrested
after failing to disperse.
As disturbances continued in Missouri, 500 people protested outside
police headquarters in Los Angeles on Sunday over the shooting death
of an unarmed black man in California a week ago.
That rally was peaceful, with many holding up signs reading, "Hands
up, don't shoot," in reference to witness reports that Brown had his
hands up when he was shot in Ferguson.
(Additional reporting by Lucia Mutikani and Julia Edwards in
Washington, Victoria Cavaliere in Seattle, Dana Feldman in Los
Angeles and Chris Michaud in New York; Writing by Colleen Jenkins
and Sharon Bernstein; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
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