In the two days since police in Ferguson, Missouri killed teenager Michael Brown, the St. Louis suburb has seen a night of destruction on Sunday and then, tonight, a tense standoff between police and residents who had gathered in the streets.
Images of police releasing tear gas have been circulating online, as have reports of police firing rubber bullets and ordering residents and members of the media to leave public areas.
Fortunately, despite the unsettling visuals and volatile circumstances, only a few seemingly minor injuries have been reported so far—two men hit by rubber bullets, presumably fired by police officers—and no one has been reported arrested. What has emerged from Ferguson is a characteristic image of protest—men and women approaching police with their arms raised over their heads.
It seems to be a response to the circumstances of Brown’s death—he was shot while unarmed, reportedly with his hands above his head.
The Justice Department, FBI, and local police are investigating the shooting.
