This article is from the source 'washpo' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/another-police-involved-shooting-death-of-a-black-teenager-in-the-st-louis-area-spurs-calls-for-more-protests-heightens-tensions/2014/12/24/1e0f3de4-8b76-11e4-8ff4-fb93129c9c8b_story.html?wprss=rss_homepage

The article has changed 9 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 5 Version 6
Another police-involved shooting death of black teen sparks tensions in St. Louis Another police-involved shooting death of black teen sparks tensions in St. Louis
(about 2 hours later)
Tensions flared again in St. Louis overnight after news of another shooting death of a black teenager by a white police officer spread in the metropolitan area, which has been the site of protests since the August police shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Brown. Tensions flared again in St. Louis early Wednesday after news of another shooting death of a black teenager by a white police officer spread in the metropolitan area, which has been the site of protests since the August police shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Brown.
Tuesday night’s shooting in Berkeley — which sits due west of Ferguson, Mo., about five miles from where Brown was killed — left dead a man identified by authorities as Antonio Martin, 18, of St. Louis. Hundreds of people soon gathered at the scene, and four were arrested and charged with assaulting police officers. Tuesday night’s shooting in Berkeley — which sits due west of Ferguson, Mo., about five miles from where Brown was killed — left dead a man identified by authorities as Antonio Martin, 18, of St. Louis. Hundreds of people soon gathered at the scene, a gas station parking lot, and four were arrested and charged with assaulting police officers.
But while many St. Louis area community leaders rushed to Berkeley demanding answers, several local black elected officials on Wednesday rejected comparison to the death of Brown and other recent police killings of unarmed black people, such as Eric Garner, who died after being put in a chokehold by a New York police officer. But while many St. Louis area community leaders rushed to Berkeley demanding answers, several local black elected officials rejected comparisons with the death of Brown and other recent police killings of unarmed black people, such as Eric Garner, who died after being put in a chokehold by a New York police officer.
Berkeley Mayor Theodore Hoskins (D) defended the officer involved in Tuesday’s shooting and said it was likely justified, citing surveillance video that appeared to show Martin pointing a gun at the officer. Police said the officer, who has not been named, fired back in fear for his life.Berkeley Mayor Theodore Hoskins (D) defended the officer involved in Tuesday’s shooting and said it was likely justified, citing surveillance video that appeared to show Martin pointing a gun at the officer. Police said the officer, who has not been named, fired back in fear for his life.
“You couldn’t even compare this with Ferguson or the Garner case in New York,”Hoskins said at a news conference. “The video shows the deceased pointed a gun that has been recovered.” “You couldn’t even compare this with Ferguson or the Garner case in New York,” Hoskins said at a news conference. “The video shows the deceased pointed a gun that has been recovered.” The mayor stressed that unlike Ferguson, Berkeley has elected civic leaders and hired a police force largely reflective of the city’s majority black population.
The mayor stressed that unlike Ferguson, Berkeley has elected civic leaders and hired a police force largely reflective of its majority black population. “In a city that is 85 percent black, we have a majority (black) police force,” said Hoskins, who along with the majority of the City Council are black. “Our police officers are more sensitive.” State Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal (D), whose districts includes Ferguson and Berkeley, criticized protest leaders for what she called a “rush to judgement.’’
State Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal (D), whose districts includes Ferguson and Berkeley, also insisted that Martin’s death cannot be compared to Brown’s, and she criticized protest leaders for what she called a “rush to judgement.’’
“Different narrative, completely different narrative,” Chappelle-Nadal said. “This kid had a gun and obviously it is an illegal gun. . . . The police officer was justified.”“Different narrative, completely different narrative,” Chappelle-Nadal said. “This kid had a gun and obviously it is an illegal gun. . . . The police officer was justified.”
Yet it remained unclear Wednesday if tensions would die down as Christmas Eve approached or if Martin’s death would inspire another round of the protests that have erupted in the St. Louis area and nationwide since Brown’s death. According to St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar, the Berkeley officer was responding to a call about a larceny when he encountered two men in the parking lot of a gas station. As the officer spoke with one of the men, the other walked several steps away and produced a weapon that he pointed at the officer, Belmar said.
The victim’s mother, Toni Martin, told reporters at the scene that her son had not been carrying a gun and was just walking to visit his girlfriend at the time of the shooting. And the Rev. Osagyefo Sekou -- who has been heavily involved in the demonstrations since Brown’s death in August — remained critical of police. Fearing for his life, the officer then drew his weapon and stepped backward, firing three shots – one of which struck the suspect, police said.
“As Christmas Eve dawns, another family mourns a child,” Sekou said. “Another makeshift memorial starts to form for yet another life cut short by the cavalier ‘shoot first, ask questions later’ approach of too many of those charged with protecting and serving.” Police said they do not believe that the suspect fired his weapon.
It remained unclear Wednesday if Martin’s death would inspire another round of the protests that have erupted in the St. Louis area and across the country since Brown’s death.
The victim’s mother, Toni Martin, told reporters at the scene that her son had not been carrying a gun and waswalking to visit his girlfriend at the time of the shooting. “This doesn’t make any sense for them to kill my son like this,” she later told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
And the Rev. Osagyefo Sekou -- who has been heavily involved in the demonstrations since Brown’s death in August — remained critical of police.
“As Christmas Eve dawns, another family mourns a child,” Sekou said.
Although police have released Martin’s identity, authorities have not released the name of the officer involved in the shooting.Although police have released Martin’s identity, authorities have not released the name of the officer involved in the shooting.
The officer’s attorney told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the officer, a six-year department veteran, is “shaken” by the shooting and has not come forward publicly in part because of fear. “It doesn’t do anything but subject him to threats and puts him and his family in harm,” said the attorney, Brian Milliken, who also would not reveal the officer’s name. The officer’s lawyer told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the officer, a six-year department veteran, is “shaken” by the shooting and has not come forward publicly in part because of fear. “It doesn’t do anything but subject him to threats and puts him and his family in harm,” said the lawyer, Brian Milliken, who also would not reveal the officer’s name.
Miliken, a former St. Louis police officer, said the officer involved in the shooting had encountered two men at a gas station. “The other guy was doing the talking, and as the cop starts talking, the suspect starts walking away again,” Milliken said. “At that point, the cop says, ‘Hey, come back here,’ and he turns around, pulls a gun from his left pant pocket.” Milliken, a former St. Louis police officer himself, said the officer involved in the shooting had encountered two men at a gas station. “The other guy was doing the talking, and as the cop starts talking, the suspect starts walking away again,” Milliken said. “At that point, the cop says, ‘Hey, come back here,’ and he turns around, pulls a gun from his left pant pocket.”
“He’s trying to process all of this, and the suspect raises it, points it at him,’’ Milliken said. “The cop pulls his weapon and starts backpedaling and fired three or four shots. It happened that quickly. He doesn’t understand why the suspect’s gun didn’t fire.“He’s trying to process all of this, and the suspect raises it, points it at him,’’ Milliken said. “The cop pulls his weapon and starts backpedaling and fired three or four shots. It happened that quickly. He doesn’t understand why the suspect’s gun didn’t fire.
Milliken did not immediately return telephone calls from The Post on Wednesday. Milliken did not return telephone calls from The Post on Wednesday.
The police account of Martin’s death says the gas station encounter happened at about 11:15 p.m. Central time, when a Berkeley police officer was conducting a business check. The St. Louis County Police Department, which has assumed control of the investigation, said one of the men pointed a handgun at the officer. On Wednesday, orange and white traffic cones blocked the entrances to the Mobile gas station where Martin was shot. About eight people stood on the sidewalk, huddled in the cold next to a small memorial for Martin.
“Fearing for his life, the Berkeley officer fired several shots, striking the man, fatally wounding him,” county police said in a news release. The mourners challenged the police account that Martin had a gun, with some saying the video footage was hazy. Chris Henry, 27, said he hates the idea of his 9-month-old daughter, having to grow up in a world where he may have to tell her that police are not always there to protect.
At a 7 a.m. news conference Wednesday, St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar stressed that the shooting was a tragedy, and he went to great lengths to address this shooting differently than the way the Brown shooting was initially handled. “When I see an officer, I don’t feel safe, I feel threatened,” said Henry, who works as a cook.
“These are nothing but tragedies, regardless of the decisions that the individual made,” Belmar said. “There are no winners here. There are nothing but losers.” At a news conference Wednesday, Belmar played surveillance video from the gas station, which appeared to depict a verbal confrontation between an officer and several people. The blurry video, shot from a distance, contains no audio and ends when it appears that one of the men raises his arm at the officer.
The handling of the Brown shooting investigation and reaction to the protests that followed came under heavy criticism, and the case is under review by the Justice Department. When a Missouri grand jury declined to indict Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson in Brown’s death, protests in St. Louis and across the country gained new energy. And when a New York grand jury the following week chose not to indict a New York City officer in Garner’s death, protests inflamed across the country. Belmar stressed that the shooting was a tragedy.
The Berkeley shooting came as police have been on heightened alert since the execution-style slaying Sunday of two New York officers, Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos, by a lone gunman. Police nationwide have been on the lookout for the possibility of other similar attacks. “There are no winners here. There are nothing but losers,’’ Belmar said.
According to Belmar, the Berkeley officer was responding to a call about a larceny when he encountered the two men in the parking lot. As the officer spoke with one of the men, the other walked several steps away and produced a weapon that he pointed at the officer, Belmar said. Marcia Davis in St. Louis contributed to this story.
At that point, the officer drew his weapon and stepped backward, firing three shots – one of which struck the suspect, Belmar said.
Police said they do not believe that the suspect fired his weapon.
Belmar also played and released surveillance video from the gas station, which appeared to depict a verbal confrontation between an officer and several people. The blurry video, shot from a distance, contains no audio and ends when it appears that one of the men raises his arm at the officer.
The chief said that medical personnel were at the scene quickly, and that the suspect’s body was covered soon after he was pronounced dead.
But the attention of protesters is now likely to turn to the police narrative of the shooting and the media portrayal of the incident and the victim.
“Mr. Martin either had a gun or didn’t, but by morning he will have morphed into a gun wielding ‘super negro’, firing from bushes with at least two different handguns with his DNA-less hands, displaying his “demon” strength, and “bulking up” before running towards armed police,” Sekou said. “What’s more, we’ll soon know if he ever smoked marijuana, got good grades at school and if he ever took a selfie with a bottle of liquor.”
Soon after the shooting, many of the protesters who led the Ferguson demonstrations had sprung into action.
By 11:40 p.m., Ferguson protest regular Tony Rice was on the scene, tweeting updates, pictures and videos as officers began to process the scene, and as Martin’s mother arrived.
At 12:43 a.m., Derek Robinson – a pastor who manages a group text with thousands of local and media contacts – blasted an alert to his list: “There was just an unarmed young man killed at the Mobile station on Hanley and 170; We need bodies now!”
Hundreds showed up, prompting several confrontations with officers – including once when, according to police, someone threw small explosive devices, likely fireworks, at officers. At least two officers were injured, and one remains hospitalized.
By 6 a.m., most of the protesters had left, leaving behind a makeshift memorial. “They can’t kill us all,” read a note tucked in the memorial, penned in black marker on a piece of notebook paper that lay next to a bouquet of white and red flowers.