Ferguson Missouri, Nov. 25, 2014, /voanews.com/ — The Midwestern U.S. town of Ferguson saw its worst unrest in months, after a grand jury decided not to indict a white police officer who shot and killed an unarmed black teenager.
Violent protests erupted late Monday after officials announced charges would not be filed against officer Darren Wilson for the August shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Brown.
St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar said at least a dozen buildings were set on fire, most of them destroyed. He said there were no reports of injuries. At least 29 people were arrested.
“Those are businesses that may never come back. So, frankly, I’m heartbroken about that,” Belmar said.
“Now the good news is we have not fired a shot. As far as I know, we don’t have any serious injuries to police officers, they got banged up a little bit with rocks, one lieutenant from the patrol got hit in the head with a glass bottle, but we don’t have any serious injuries, and as far as I know we haven’t caused any serious injuries tonight,” he said.
Firefighters had put out the remains of fires by Tuesday morning.
Although no serious injuries were reported, Belmar said the rioting on Monday night and early Tuesday morning was “much worse” than the disturbances that erupted in the immediate aftermath of the shooting.
At least 61 people were arrested, police said.
Schools in Ferguson and its surrounding cities said they planned not to open on Tuesday. Protesters planned to demonstrate on Tuesday outside the courthouse in Clayton, Missouri, where the grand jury sat.
Early Monday night, police used smoke and tear gas to disperse the protesters, some of whom set police cars on fire and threw objects at police. Sporadic gunfire could be heard in the neighborhood.
Protests nationwide
Demonstrations were also held in cities across America. At Times Square in New York City, protesters held signs decrying “police tyranny” and chanted the “Hands Up, Don’t Shoot” slogan that has become popular at rallies against police violence.
In Oakland and Chicago, protesters flooded freeways, blocking cars with their hands held in the air. A small crowd of protesters also gathered outside the White House.
The August 9 shooting inflamed tensions in the predominantly black St. Louis suburb, which is patrolled by an overwhelmingly white police force.
The deadly shooting sparked weeks of sometimes violent protests and looting. Adding to the tension was the often heavy-handed response by police which used armored vehicles and tear gas.
Demonstrations have continued in Ferguson and in Clayton, where the grand jury began meeting in late August.
Brown’s family, who have called for restraint, issued a statement saying they were “profoundly disappointed” at the ruling.
Lawyers for Wilson said in a statement that the grand jury’s decision shows the officer “followed his training and followed the law” during the confrontation with Brown.
Appeal for calm
In a statement from the White House, President Barack Obama acknowledged some are “deeply disappointed” at the ruling, but called on protesters to be peaceful.
Attorney General Eric Holder said federal investigations continue into the shooting and into whether the Ferguson Police Department is engaging in unconstitutional practices.
Calling Brown’s death a “tragedy,” Holder said it is “far more must be done to create enduring trust” between law enforcement and the communities they serve.
Stories differed as to what happened in the August 9 shooting. Lawyers for Brown’s family said he was trying to surrender when the officer shot him. Wilson’s supporters said he shot Brown in self-defense.
St. Louis County Prosecutor Robert McCulloch said the grand jury met for 25 days and heard 70 hours of testimony from 60 witnesses.
McCulloch praised the jurors for completing “this monumental responsibility,” and he lauded the “unprecedented cooperation” between federal investigators and local authorities.
He said much of the witness testimony contradicted the evidence from the scene and that many others later changed their stories, admitting they had not witnessed the confrontation.
The prosecutor also extended his sympathy to Brown’s family over his death. McCulloch concluded his prepared remarks by saying he joined with the family, clergy and others “in urging everyone to continue the demonstrations, continue the discussion … but do so in a constructive way.”
The father of the slain teenager appealed for calm last week. In a video posted online, Michael Brown Senior said hurting others or destroying property is “not the answer” to frustration over what is seen as racial injustice.