WASHINGTON — A reporter from Associated Press Radio says that police in Ferguson, Missouri, have begun firing tear gas canisters at people protesting the grand jury’s decision to return no charges against Darren Wilson, the white police officer who shot and killed the unarmed black teenager Michael Brown.
Tony Winton told WTOP at about 10:40 p.m. that a line of police officers in riot gear had been firing tear gas at protestors for 20 to 30 minutes.
Winton says that the “great majority” of protestors were peaceful, though he saw several “Fourth of July-type fireworks, bottle rockets” going off. That drew police to the group of protestors, shooting tear gas canisters.
He said the situation on Florissant Street, near the police station, was under control at the time, though he had to end the conversation after suffering the results of the tear gas himself: “It’s hard for me to speak because me eyes are tearing up.”
Follow @WTOP on Twitter and WTOP on Facebook.
