Arrests and Tear Gas at St. Louis Protest Following Fatal Police Shooting

St. Louis police arrested nine people and fired tear gas at protesters during a demonstration on Wednesday over the killing of an 18-year-old black male by officers carrying out a search warrant at a house.

More than 100 demonstrators gathered in an area of the city where Mansur Ball-Bey was shot about four times that afternoon when he and another occupant allegedly fled the home after police arrived in search of suspects believed to be inside. Authorities said that Ball-Bey had pointed a gun at the officers, which they recovered along with three other guns and crack cocaine that was found around the house. The second suspect evaded police.

St. Louis Police Chief Sam Dotson said that angry protesters threw rocks, bricks, and water bottles at officers monitoring the scene. Video footage shows officers using their shields to block the flying debris with their shields, while Dotson said they used tear gas and smoke in an attempt to disperse the demonstration.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that some 80 protesters set an American flag on fire shortly before 11 PM as they yelled slogans against police. A car was also reportedly set ablaze and was said to still be smoking on Thursday morning.

As the crowds gathered at about 10 PM, a vacant house suddenly caught fire nearby and firefighters responded to the scene. It is unclear what caused the incident or if it was connected to the protest.

Dotson did not provide details about the crimes that led to the warrant, but the Associated Press noted that he mentioned a fatal shooting on Monday that occurred on the same street as the house, as well as another shooting that occurred at a neighborhood market. The previous weekend also saw a 93-year-old black World War II veteran robbed nearby. His car was stolen soon after.

Multiple residents told the AP that they believed officers had provoked the situation and failed to de-escalate the events.

"Another youth down by the hands of police," area resident Dex Dockett remarked. "What could have been done different to de-escalate rather than escalate? They (police) come in with an us-against-them mentality. You've got to have the right kind of cops to engage in these types of neighborhoods."

Wednesday's police shooting and subsequent protests come less than two weeks after the first anniversary of the death of Michael Brown, an unarmed black teen who was shot and killed on the outskirts of St. Louis by Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson. The police killing sparked weeks of protests in and around St. Louis that soon spread throughout the country.

In the aftermath of the shooting, including the non-indictment of Officer Wilson, who has since left the police force, the Justice Departmentcalledfor a complete overhaul of the Ferguson Police Department after an investigation found that widespread constitutional violations and discriminatory tactics were commonplace in the city.

In the year since Brown's death, police officers have killed at least 1,083 Americans, according todata compiled by VICE News. So far, 22 of the officers involved in those incidents have been indicted or charged.