Small businesses bear brunt of Ferguson mayhem

As they have since the days after the August shooting, businesses owners bore the brunt of the outrage on the streets of Ferguson, Missouri, reports CBS News correspondent Vladimir Duthiers.

The worst of the destruction occurred on a main commercial strip on West Florissant Avenue where the violence was described as more severe than anything seen previously.

A Little Caesar's pizzeria was destroyed by a tornado three years ago and it's a pile of rubble once again. The manager, who didn't want to give his name, had anticipated trouble Monday night.

"We basically just had to shut down and get everybody to safety," the manager said.

He watched helplessly as rioters set fire to the restaurant he feels most let down by town officials who waited until nightfall to announce the grand jury decision.

"I don't understand why you would do that," he said. "What's the rationale behind that?"

He said while the police department was well protected by officers, nearby businesses were not. Looters broke into one restaurant, but failed to burn it down. On Tuesday, the owners assessed the damage.

"Over on West Florissant, they've actually closed down the whole street," Edmund Klein Inc. owner Paul Abrams said. "They're not even letting the owners into the buildings because they're considering the whole street a crime scene."

Less than a mile down the road, it's neighbor helping neighbor.

"We live here and we feel that it's our civic duty," Ferguson resident Drew Canaday said. "This is Ferguson, this is what Ferguson does."

Residents are working together to help protect other businesses.

Jerome and Cathy Jenkins, who have lived here in Ferguson for more than 20 years, own the restaurant Cathy's Kitchen. The Jenkins believe those responsible for much of the destruction are not from Ferguson.

"I felt sorry for West Florissant, because they allowed 30 people to roam one mile and burn down those businesses and they were criminals, those were not protesters there is a difference," Jerome said.

Since the shooting, many of the demonstrators have become loyal customers. One even emailed Cathy a video showing protesters keeping vandals away from their restaurant during the unrest Monday night.

"They were locked together holding hands protecting Cathy's Kitchen, so I had hope," Cathy said.

Many of the businesses are mom and pop stores, and some have been hit by violence more than once.

Ferguson's mayor said Tuesday they have been working with affected businesses owners since August, trying to encourage them to rebuild and reopen in town.