Relations between the citizenry and the police in Ferguson, Missouri have become extremely fraught following the killing of unarmed African-American teenager Mike Brown by law enforcement on Saturday, with Brown's parents and supporters demanding accountability for what they claim was an egregiously unwarranted use of deadly force.
A large and increasingly restive crowd assembled at the scene of Brown's killing, eventually drawing as much as 100 police cars from 15 different departments. A dumpster was reportedly set aflame, and a loud chant of "kill the police!" reportedly could be heard during some of the tensest moments between protestors and police.
"Ferguson police just executed my unarmed son!!!" read a sign made by a man who identified himself as Brown's father. Pictures of him holding the sign soon went viral on social media:
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A woman who identified herself as Brown's mother also spoke up, telling the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the police "killed [her] son" and describing the shooting as "wrong" and "cold-hearted."
Users on Instagram shared video from the scene of the protests, where dozens of police can be seen circling a group of Fergusonians:
And as the day continued, protestors eventually marched on the Ferguson Police Department's headquarters:
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The officer allegedly responsible for shooting Brown has been placed on paid administrative leave, according to Ferguson's police chief, Thomas Jackson, while the local branch of the NAACP has called upon the FBI to intervene and conduct an investigation of its own.
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