Human RightsNorth America

Brutal US Police clash with protesters in Ferguson

379926_Police-Ferguson

Protesters have once again taken to the streets of the US city of Ferguson over the killing of an unarmed black teenager by a white policeman last month.

On Wednesday, police clashed with the demonstrators and arrested a number of them, accusing them of damaging public property and inciting violence.

The protests resumed a day earlier after a fire destroyed a memorial dedicated to 18-year-old Michael Brown was who was killed by Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson.

Police said candle flames were to blame for the destruction of the memorial, but local residents claimed it was intentionally set ablaze.

The incident reignited tensions in Ferguson, a predominantly African-American suburb of St. Louis, Missouri, which was rocked by violence for weeks in August after the teenager’s death.

Brown was shot at least six times, including twice in the head, by Wilson, the white officer. Though police have a different account about the deadly shooting incident, several eyewitnesses say the unarmed teen held up his arms in surrender before he was repeatedly shot.

Brown’s family and activists want prosecutors to charge Wilson with murder, although he has continued his job on paid administrative leave. Wilson has spoken with investigators and testified before a grand jury, who is still considering his case.

The US Department of Justice and FBI are continuing to investigate the incident for civil rights violations. Police brutality and the unnecessary use of heavy-handed tactics have become a major concern across the US in recent years.

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