St Louis: Protesters angered by the fatal shooting of a black 18-year-old by a white police officer faced off with officers in south St. Louis for a second night as accusations of racial profiling prompted calls for a federal investigation ahead of a weekend of planned peaceful rallies.
State and city leaders have urged the Justice Department to investigate the death of Vonderrit D Myers on Wednesday night, fearing he was targeted because he was black. Police say the officer who killed Myers was returning fire, but Myers' parents say he was unarmed.
"This here was racial profiling turned deadly," state Senate Jamilah Nasheed said at a news conference on Thursday.
Late on Thursday night following a quiet candlelight prayer vigil for Myers, hundreds of people joined a more rowdy gathering in Shaw to protest his death.
Some protesters burned the American flag, while others banged on drums and shouted "This is what democracy looks like!" Some slammed the sides of police vans. Broken glass littered the street.
Activists and other protesters from around the country have been preparing for four days of rallies, marches and protests over the Ferguson shooting. Organizers say the events, which start Friday and include a march Saturday in downtown St. Louis, have taken on added urgency in the wake of Myers' death.
Syreeta Myers said her son was holding a sandwich, not a gun. "Police lie. They lied about Michael Brown, too," she told The Associated Press by phone Thursday.
He chased them, first in his car and then on foot, Mr Dotson said.
Ballistic evidence shows Myers fired three shots before his gun jammed, Mr Dotson said. Police said they recovered the 9 mm gun, which was reported stolen on Sept. 26.
The officer fired off 17 rounds. Preliminary autopsy results show a shot to the head killed Myers, according to medical examiner Dr. Michael Graham.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that Graham said Myers was shot six or seven times in the lower extremities and the fatal shot entered his right cheek.
Authorities have not released the name of the six-year veteran of the St. Louis Police Department. The 32-year-old officer is on paid administrative leave pending an investigation.
An attorney for the officer told the newspaper that his client served with the U.S. Marines in Iraq and was "shaken up" by the incident. He called claims that Myers was carrying a sandwich not a gun "ridiculous."
Online court documents show Myers was free on bond when he was killed. He had been charged with unlawful use of a weapon, a felony, and misdemeanor resisting arrest in June.
Myers' was the third fatal shooting of a black male by St. Louis-area police since Brown's death.
State and city leaders have urged the Justice Department to investigate the death of Vonderrit D Myers on Wednesday night, fearing he was targeted because he was black. Police say the officer who killed Myers was returning fire, but Myers' parents say he was unarmed.
"This here was racial profiling turned deadly," state Senate Jamilah Nasheed said at a news conference on Thursday.
Late on Thursday night following a quiet candlelight prayer vigil for Myers, hundreds of people joined a more rowdy gathering in Shaw to protest his death.
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Some protesters burned the American flag, while others banged on drums and shouted "This is what democracy looks like!" Some slammed the sides of police vans. Broken glass littered the street.
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Activists and other protesters from around the country have been preparing for four days of rallies, marches and protests over the Ferguson shooting. Organizers say the events, which start Friday and include a march Saturday in downtown St. Louis, have taken on added urgency in the wake of Myers' death.
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Syreeta Myers said her son was holding a sandwich, not a gun. "Police lie. They lied about Michael Brown, too," she told The Associated Press by phone Thursday.
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He chased them, first in his car and then on foot, Mr Dotson said.
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Ballistic evidence shows Myers fired three shots before his gun jammed, Mr Dotson said. Police said they recovered the 9 mm gun, which was reported stolen on Sept. 26.
The officer fired off 17 rounds. Preliminary autopsy results show a shot to the head killed Myers, according to medical examiner Dr. Michael Graham.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that Graham said Myers was shot six or seven times in the lower extremities and the fatal shot entered his right cheek.
Authorities have not released the name of the six-year veteran of the St. Louis Police Department. The 32-year-old officer is on paid administrative leave pending an investigation.
An attorney for the officer told the newspaper that his client served with the U.S. Marines in Iraq and was "shaken up" by the incident. He called claims that Myers was carrying a sandwich not a gun "ridiculous."
Online court documents show Myers was free on bond when he was killed. He had been charged with unlawful use of a weapon, a felony, and misdemeanor resisting arrest in June.
Myers' was the third fatal shooting of a black male by St. Louis-area police since Brown's death.
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