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Ferguson Grand Jury Decision Escalates Into Rioting and Looting

By Patrick Frye
Published on: 15:27 PST, Nov 24, 2014

A grand jury declined to indict the Ferguson police officer on Monday who shot and killed an unarmed black teenager in August in a case that touched off nationwide protests and cries of police brutality.

Almost immediately, the decision ignited protests in the Missouri city, as demonstrators clashed with police. Gunshots were reported near the Ferguson Police Department, and authorities used smoke and pepper spray to disperse crowds near the building after some protesters smashed the windows of a police car and threw rocks and other items at authorities.

There has been a significant effort reported to keep protests peaceful, but violence has been turning up slowly through the night and the police and protest organizers are trying to keep things from getting out of control.

This article will be updated as events unfold.

[LAST UPDATED, 12:43 EST, have been added below]

Police have been using “smoke” cans to help disperse crowds.

Police have been making every effort to keep main roads clear of protests for emergency vehicles to move quickly. Protesters have shut down a highway by walking across. Police are in the process of clearing the protestors.

More buildings have been set on fire as looters have set businesses on fire.

This article will be updated as events unfold.

[UPDATED 11:28PM EST]
A Little Caesar’s building is engulfed in flames. On highway 44 police have formed a line across the highway. Just standing there at this moment. The crowd and the police are holding their ground.

This article will be updated as events unfold.

[UPDATED 11:42PM]

Protestors are dispersing off of highway 44 without any conflict. Police officers continue to flow to the scene, forming lines, to block any further growth.

Multiple gunshots have been reported, possibly from the area where Michael Brown was shot and killed.

[UPDATED 12:03AM EST]

Protesters have cleared highway 44 and moved down Grand. Police in riot gear are following up in a line clearing the street.

A no-fly zone has been declared over Ferguson. One tweeter commented restriction is for all flights, commercial and media.

Reports of heavy gunfire in area of W. Florissant and Canfield. Armored vehicles are advancing to the area.

[UPDATED 12:43AM EST]

Many of the protests have dispersed but fires are raging and police are moving in to surround looters who are starting fires.

One Vine video shows a young man climbing out of his car, showing where he was shot in the leg.

Firefighters have a great amount of work to do tonight to contain and put out fires.

At this moment there are not any current protest groups being reported as they have dispersed for the night, but protests may resume later in the night as has happened in the past. In any case protests will most likely resume tomorrow. In the mean time there is a great amount of clean up to be done.

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