Protests Erupt In St. Louis After Ex-Cop Found Not Guilty In Fatal Shooting
ST. LOUIS (CBSNEWS/AP) - Dozens of protesters are facing off with police in riot gear in downtown St. Louis after blocking a bus filled with officers.
The protests come after a judge announced Friday that former police officer Jason Stockley was not guilty of first-degree murder in the 2011 death of 24-year-old Anthony Lamar Smith. Stockley shot Smith five times after a high-speed chase. Prosecutors alleged Stockley planted a gun in Smith's car after he shot him.
Hundreds of protesters are marching through city streets. Immediately following the verdict, some protesters shouted, "If we can't get no justice y'all can't get no peace" and burned a St. Louis Cardinals sweatshirt, according to a reporter for CBS St. Louis affiliate KMOV-TV.
A smaller group stood in front of a city bus filled with officers in riot gear, blocking it from moving forward. The bus backed up and protesters again tried to stop it, with a few throwing water bottles. The bus moved less than a block before police in riot gear began pushing back the crowd.
As protesters resisted, two women told The Associated Press that police used pepper spray. Both women's faces had been doused with milk, which is used to counter the effects of pepper spray.
The police also said on Twitter that rocks were thrown at buses carrying officers.
