Tyrone Harris appears in a video released by Missouri police while brandishing a gun before he was shot and badly wounded by officers during Sunday’s protests in Ferguson.
Police said the short clip from a security camera showed the teenager grabbing a gun from his waistband.
Tyrone Harris’s father has said his son was unarmed and was running away from police when he was shot on August 9.
Tyrone Harris, 18 was fired on during protests in Ferguson to mark a year since the killing of another black teenager, Michael Brown.
According to police, a gunfight erupted between two rival groups in West Florissant Avenue and a suspect, identified as Tyrone Harris, then shot at plain-clothes police officers, who returned fire.
“The video shows Harris grab a handgun out of his waistband once shots are fired during the protest in the West Florissant corridor,” St Louis’s police department said.
Tyrone Harris’s father said, before the video was released, that his son had been unarmed and was “running for his life”.
Prosecutors have filed 10 charges against Tyrone Harris, including assaulting an officer.
A state of emergency was declared on August 10 as protests continued to mark the anniversary of the fatal shooting of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown by white police officer Darren Wilson.
Protesters staged a sit-in outside the main courthouse in St Louis and gathered along a major highway as part of a day of civil disobedience called by activists.
Police in riot gear forced people off the streets on Monday night. They said 23 people were reportedly detained, but “there were no shots fired, no smoke or tear gas used”.
The state of emergency was still in effect on August 11 but no major protests were reported.
Michael Brown, 18, was shot dead in August 2014 by a white police officer who was later cleared of any wrongdoing by a grand jury and the DoJ.
Michael Brown’s death triggered a wave of protests over alleged racism and the use of excessive force by police officers.
The city of Ferguson has declared state of emergency amid protests marking the first anniversary of the death of black teenager Michael Brown.
Ferguson is reported to be tense after another black teenager, Tyrone Harris, was critically wounded in a gun battle with police on August 9.
Tyrone Harris, 18, was later charged with assaulting police officers.
Missouri Governor Jay Nixon has appealed for protests to remain peaceful.
Michael Brown was shot in August 2014 by white police officer Darren Wilson, who was later cleared of any wrongdoing by a grand jury and the DoJ.
The 18-year-old’s death triggered a wave of protests over alleged racism and the use of excessive force by police officers.
On August 10, police arrested several protesters who blocked a traffic lane on West Florissant Avenue – the site of previous unrest. Witnesses said some people in the crowd threw water bottles at officers but there were no reports of violence.
Photo Getty Images
Police also arrested about 50 protesters – including civil rights activist Cornel West – who staged a sit-in outside the main courthouse in St Louis.
Other protesters also briefly blocked a major highway – Interstate 70 – during the afternoon rush hour and a number of arrests were made.
The demonstrations were part of a day of civil disobedience called by activists in St Louis and other major US cities.
The state of emergency was issued on Monday afternoon by St Louis County Executive Steve Stenger and authorized county Police Chief Jon Belmar to take control in and around Ferguson.
Sunday’s shooting came after a day of peaceful and somber commemorations in memory of Michael Brown.
According to police, a gunfight erupted between two rival groups in West Florissant Avenue and a suspect, whom they identified as Tyrone Harris, then shot at plain-clothes police who returned fire.
Police Chief Belmar said those who had opened fire on the officers “were criminals, they weren’t protesters”.
However, Tyrone Harris’s father described the police account as “a bunch of lies”, saying his son had been unarmed and was “running for his life”.
“As we have seen over the recent months and years, not only does violence obscure any message of peaceful protest, it places the community, as well as the officers who seek to protect it, in harm’s way,” she said.
There have been a number of high-profile shootings of unarmed black men in US cities in recent months.
The most recent case involved 19-year-old Christian Taylor who was shot dead by a white police officer after he was spotted on surveillance footage vandalizing cars in Arlington, Texas, on August 7.
Tyrone Harris, who was shot by Ferguson police during events marking the first anniversary of the killing of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown, has been charged with assaulting officers, prosecutors say.
Tyrone Harris, 18, was critically wounded in a gun battle with police on August 9.
The authorities have declared a state of emergency in Ferguson, Missouri.
Michael Brown’s death triggered a wave of demonstrations over the use of excessive police force by officers.
The 18-year-old was shot in August 2014 by white police officer Darren Wilson, who was later cleared of any wrongdoing by a grand jury and the DoJ.
On August 10, some 50 people were shown on local news networks being arrested after blocking the main courthouse in St Louis, including civil rights activist Cornel West.
Rallies were due to take place in parts of St Louis and other major US cities as part of a day of civil disobedience called by activists.
Hundreds of people stood silent on August 9 for four-and-a-half minutes at the spot where Michael Brown was killed in Ferguson, representing the number of hours that his body lay in the street unattended.
However, the day of peaceful and somber commemorations turned violent late at night when, according to police, a gunfight erupted between two rival groups on West Florissant Avenue.
Police say Tyrone Harris was armed and opened fired, but his father has described their account of events as “a bunch of lies”.
Prosecutors filed 10 counts of charges against him, including assaulting an officer.
Police said Tyrone Harris was among six people who fired at an unmarked SUV with plainclothes detectives inside, who then fired back.
Tyrone Harris’ father told the AP news agency that his son, a close friend of Michael Brown, was shot between eight and 12 times as he was running away.
The gunmen “were criminals; they weren’t protesters,” he said, adding that the officers were not wearing body cameras – a major concern cited by protest groups.
Four police officers have been placed on administrative leave.
Photos from the scene showed a young black man lying bloodied on the ground. He was face down and handcuffed.
Announcing a state of emergency on August 10, the authorities in St Louis county placed police chief Jon Belmar in charge of Ferguson and the surrounding areas.
US attorney Loretta Lynch denounced the incident on Sunday, saying “not only does violence obscure any message of peaceful protest, it places the community, as well as the officers who seek to protect it, in harm’s way”.
It also drew criticism from protest groups, including the Ferguson Action Council and Organization for Black Struggle which described the police response as “excessive”.
John Gaskin III, a member of US rights group NAACP, told AP he did not expect unrest to escalate in Ferguson in the same way it has over the past year.
However, he warned, not many people would believe the police officers’ account of Sunday night’s events as “there’s still a tremendous level of distrust between law enforcement and the community”.
There have been a number of high-profile shootings of unarmed black men in US cities in recent months.
The most recent case involved 19-year-old Christian Taylor who was shot dead by a white police officer after he was spotted on surveillance footage vandalizing cars in Arlington, Texas, on August 7.
People in Ferguson, Missouri, are commemorating the first anniversary of the killing of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown.
On the eve of Sunday’s anniversary, several hundred marched through Ferguson in his honor, led by his father.
The shooting of Michael Brown by white police officer Darren Wilson sparked demonstrations across America.
Along with killings of unarmed black men elsewhere in the US, it also fuelled a national protest movement against racial bias by the police.
Activists and religious figures from across the country are among those who have gathered this weekend in Ferguson, a suburb of St Louis, Missouri.
Saturday’s rally was peaceful and heavily policed.
Michael Brown’s father, also called Michael, said: “Some families got justice through Michael Brown’s legacy, and that helped them. But I’m still trying to get through.”
On Sunday, a march is planned from the site of the shooting to a local church.
Participants are expected to observe a four and a half minute silence to reflect the approximately four-and-a-half hours that Michael Brown’s body lay in the street.
The protests, which sometimes involved violent clashes between demonstrators and police, continued in Ferguson for weeks after the killing.
The protest movement gained fresh impetus in November, when a grand jury decided not to charge Darren Wilson.
Officer Darren Wilson, who argued that he was acting in self-defense, resigned from the police force in November.
In March, a justice department investigation found evidence of widespread racial bias in the Ferguson police department.
The report led to several high profile resignations, including the chief of police.
The “Black Lives Matter” movement that emerged in the wake of 18-year-old Michael Brown’s death has focused attention on the troubled relationship between black communities and police forces in a number of US states.
This website has updated its privacy policy in compliance with EU GDPR 2016/679. Please read this to review the updates about which personal data we collect on our site. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our updated policy. AcceptRejectRead More
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
