St. Louis police shooting of black teenager triggers angry protests

St. Louis police shooting of black teenager triggers angry protests
(Image credit: AP Photo/Sid Hastings)

Angry residents of a St. Louis suburb filled the streets on Saturday afternoon, protesting the fatal police shooting earlier that day of 18-year-old Michael Brown, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

A witness at the scene said a police officer was attempting to put Brown in a squad car after the two exchanged words as he walked to his grandmother's residence. Brown reportedly raised his hands, turned, and attempted to run away, at which point the police officer fired several shots that hit Brown. But a police official at a press conference earlier today described the incident as stemming from "a physical confrontation," between Brown and the officer, reports CNN. The officer who fired on Brown has been placed on paid administrative leave.

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Sarah Eberspacher

Sarah Eberspacher is an associate editor at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked as a sports reporter at The Livingston County Daily Press & Argus and The Arizona Republic. She graduated from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.