As the unrest in Ferguson, Mo. in response to the shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Brown continued last night, a group of local residents reportedly took to guarding local businesses from vandalism.
According to Gawker, protesters were asked to leave the scene by police. Some chose not to, instead opting to loot stores in the area :
Late Friday night, according to reports of journalists on the scene, police told protesters blocking a main street to return home. Protesters refused, and, nearby some looters broke into a beauty store and a meat market—only for other community members to barricade themselves in front of the stores (including the convenience store from which Michael Brown was accused of stealing) to stop looting. Though residents managed to protect some stores, others were ransacked, with looters apparently hitting the meat market particularly hard.
Washington Post reporter Wesley Lowery, one of the journalists arrested at a local McDonalds earlier this week, said that residents took to protecting property and preventing violence.
Cops nowhere near. Crowd policing ITSELF. Community leaders and NIO/Panthers PREVENTING LOOTING
— Wesley Lowery (@WesleyLowery) August 16, 2014
"Ain't nobody going in this motherfucker, bro" - resident guarding beauty store pic.twitter.com/NMS55aH1Tg
— Wesley Lowery (@WesleyLowery) August 16, 2014
The majority of those looting are drunk kids
— Wesley Lowery (@WesleyLowery) August 16, 2014
Attempt to loot store that Michael Brown allegedly stole from stopped by community members
— Wesley Lowery (@WesleyLowery) August 16, 2014
Hundreds in the streets. Only a few dozen attempting to loot. Dozens more physically trying to prevent
— Wesley Lowery (@WesleyLowery) August 16, 2014
This comes after Ferguson police identified Darren Wilson as the officer who fatally shot Brown a week ago, as well as the revelation that Brown was a suspect in a strong-armed robbery that took place prior to his death.
Yesterday afternoon, police said that Wilson did not know Brown was a suspect in the alleged crime when he stopped him.
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[via Gawker and Twitter]
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