2 People Shot, 31 Arrested As Violent Protests In Missouri Continue
Two people were shot and 31 arrested in what continues to be ongoing violence in the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson, Missouri over the death of teenager Michael Brown.
Ferguson police are blaming the small bursts of violence that include shootings and Molotov cocktails on a "tiny minority of lawbreakers," arguing that the majority of Ferguson's citizens are practicing peaceful protests in their demand for justice for Brown and his family.
Missouri State Highway Patrol Capt. Ron Johnson said at a briefing on Tuesday morning that many of the 31 violent protesters arrested Monday evening were from out-of-town, including states as far as California and New York.
"It is criminals who throw Molotov cocktails, fire shots and endanger lives. These are not acts of protesters but acts of violence," Capt. Johnson said Tuesday morning.
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder will arrive in Ferguson tomorrow to oversee a federal autopsy of 18-year-old Michael Brown, a teen that was recently shot and killed by a police officer for allegedly stealing from a convenience store. Brown's death has been compared to the 2012 death of teen Trayvon Martin, as both men were young, black and unarmed when they were fatally shot.
Johnson added at Tuesday's briefing that he encourages peaceful demonstrators to only take to the streets during daylight hours, so then authorities can work during the night to arrest those "bent on ruining our community" and so violent criminals could "no longer mask themselves behind peaceful protesters."
President Barack Obama also spoke on the protests this week, saying that although protesters have a right to feel impassioned about the recent events in Ferguson, they must also listen, not just shout, in order to achieve justice for Brown and his family.
