Vigil after police kill unarmed teen turns ugly

Rioters looted and burned shops, vandalised vehicles and taunted riot police who tried to block access to parts of a predominantly black suburb of St Louis after a candlelight vigil for an unarmed man who was fatally shot by an officer turned ugly.

Streets in Ferguson were upended in the Sunday night riots and police made 32 arrests.

TV footage showed streams of people carting bottles of alcohol from a liquor store, and video posted online by the St Louis Post-Dispatch showed a convenience store on fire.

Several businesses were looted. People took items from a sporting goods shop and a mobile phone retailer, and carted rims away from a tyre outlet. Some climbed atop police cars as the officers with riot shields and batons stood stoic nearby, trying to restrict access to the most seriously affected areas.

Mayor James Knowles told KTVI-TV that police struggled to catch any looters because the crimes were so widespread.

Deanel Trout, a 14-year resident of Ferguson, said he was convinced that the rioters were largely from outside Ferguson and that they had used the man’s death and the vigil as an opportunity to steal.

“Most came here for a peaceful protest but it takes one bad apple to spoil the bunch. ... I can understand the anger and unrest but I can’t understand the violence and looting,” Trout, 53, said.

St Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley said there were no reports of injuries but tear gas was used.

The tensions erupted after a candlelight vigil on Sunday night for 18-year-old Michael Brown, who police said was shot multiple times on Saturday in a scuffle with an officer inside a patrol car.

County Police Chief Jon Belmar said an officer encountered Brown and another man outside an apartment complex in Ferguson. One of the men pushed the officer into his squad car and they struggled. Belmar said at least one shot was fired from the officer’s gun inside the police car.

Ferguson Police Chief Tom Jackson said authorities were still sorting out what happened inside the police car. It was not clear if Brown was the man who fought with the officer. The struggle spilled out into the street, where Brown was shot multiple times. Belmar said all shell casings matched the officer’s gun. Police were investigating why the officer shot Brown, who was unarmed.