Hundreds Protest In St. Louis After Ex-Cop Acquitted For Killing Black Man In 2011

Hundreds of protesters poured into St. Louis streets on Friday, and some scuffles erupted, after a Missouri judge acquitted a former white police officer who was charged with murder in the 2011 fatal shooting of a black man.

With the National Guard on standby in case of violence, authorities appealed to demonstrators to remain peaceful as they protested the outcome of a case reminiscent of circumstances that spawned racially charged unrest in the nearby suburb of Ferguson and gave rise to the Black Lives Matter movement in 2014.

Police said several protesters threw rocks and water bottles, while officers were seen in video footage and by eyewitnesses dousing at least five people with pepper spray about a block from the courthouse.

As night fell, police reported making 13 arrests and said four officers had been assaulted. One group of demonstrators tried to enter Interstate 40 but was blocked by police officers in riot gear.

4 officers assaulted. 1 treated for hand injury. 3 not treated-1 hit w/ water bottle, 1 knocked off bike & 1 pinned on bike. #STLVerdict

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4 officers assaulted. 1 treated for hand injury. 3 not treated-1 hit w/ water bottle, 1 knocked off bike & 1 pinned on bike. #STLVerdict
St. Louis, MO Police (@SLMPD) September 15, 2017

They're spraying pepper spray wildly pic.twitter.com/zhobIaiFhD

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They're spraying pepper spray wildly pic.twitter.com/zhobIaiFhD
Search4Swag (@search4swag) September 15, 2017

Former city policeman Jason Stockley, 36, was found not guilty of first-degree murder in the shooting death of Anthony Lamar Smith, 24, in a verdict rendered by a judge five weeks after the end of a non-jury trial. Stockley said Smith fled in his car when the officer tried to arrest him on drug charges.

Stockley and his partner chased Smith, who was shot five times in his car. The former policeman believed Smith was armed, defense attorneys said. A gun was found in the car, but prosecutors argued Stockley planted the weapon and that gun had only Stockleys DNA on it.

Following the verdict, some 600 protesters marched through downtown St. Louis, chanting No justice, no peace and Hey hey! Ho ho! These killer cops have got to go!

Some protesters held signs that read Black Lives Matter and No more racist killer cops.

Later in the evening, a group of about 300 protesters moved from the courthouse to the citys popular restaurant neighborhood, the Central West End.