Fires set off, police confront crowds hours after St. Louis police fatally shoot teen20 minutes ago • By Jesse Bogan, Doug Moore
PROTESTERS BURN AMERICAN FLAG: 10:50 p.m.A group of about 80 demonstrators burned an American flag in the middle of Page Avenue and chanted a vulgar anti-police slogan. The incident was near Bayard Avenue, which is one block west of Walton Avenue. Officers made no move against them, and the chanting stopped.
PROTEST OBSERVERS CLAIM POLICE REACTION TOO AGGRESSIVE: 10:35 p.m.The Rev. Renita Lamkin of St. Charles, who regularly attended protests in Ferguson, went to Page Avenue with several other clergy members Wednesday evening. She accused the police of engaging in an overly aggressive response.
“There has to be a better way, but the better way is not to terrorize an already terrorized community,” she said. “How they deal with the situation is classist and dehumanizing. The people here don't matter as much to them.”
Kayla Reed of the Organization for Black Struggle also said she believed officers were too aggressive toward a crowd “that never was all that big.” She claimed officers gave no warning firing canisters of smoke and tear gas.
Police Chief Sam Dotson, in his press conference earlier in the evening, said police gave the crowd repeated warnings by bullhorn before firing smoke, then tear gas, and making arrests.
PROPERTY OWNER SUPPORTS POLICE: 10:40 p.m.Gary Taylor, 47, who owns property in the neighborhood, said he supported the police actions "because they wouldn't stop" and threw rocks and bottles at the officers.
"These are not even people who live in this neighborhood," Taylor said. "None of these people I recognize."
VACANT HOUSE ON FIRE: 9:55 p.m.A vacant house on Bayard Avenue is consumed in flames as crowds continue to gather near the scene of a police shooting.
Firefighters are responding to the fire.
DOTSON SAYS POLICE ACTED TO BREAK UP CROWD AFTER BEING THREATENED: 9:45 p.m.St. Louis Police Chief Sam Dotson says police moved in to clear protesters from Walton and Page avenues, near the site of a police shooting earlier Wednesday, only after crowds had lashed out against police.
Dotson said police fired smoke canisters and later tear gas to break up the crowd. He said the actions were in response to bricks, water bottles and other objects being hurled at police. He said he also heard gunshots.
Nine arrests were made during the confrontation, Dotson said.
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