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Police arrested more than 140 demonstrators in St. Louis, Missouri after they blocked a highway in ongoing protests over the acquittal of a former police officer in the 2011 fatal shooting of Anthony Lamar Smith. Police confirmed that all demonstrators on the scene were arrested. St. Louis Alderman John Collins-Muhammad [WTF?] told local media, however, that 126 people had been taken into custody. Democratic State Representative Bruce Franks, one of the leaders of the ongoing protests and a prominent Ferguson activist, took to Twitter to say he was among those being detained. Left-wing internet show The Young Turks also reported...

The St. Louis Young Democrats are working hand-in-hand with Black Lives Matter to organize protests in the city, now entering their sixth night, and the mayor says she is “listening.” The Young Democrats tweeted Wednesday at about 12:20 p.m. that the next “protest” in response to the not-guilty verdict in the Jason Stockley trial was planned for Wednesday evening, instructing rioters where to show up and at what time, hashtagging #Black Lives Matter on the tweet.The next protest in response to the #STLVerdict is scheduled to begin at 5:00 pm at Shaw Park tonight, Wednesday 9/20. #blacklivesmatter pic.twitter.com/CQJPfbvUr2 — STLYoungDems...

Why Did the Judge Acquit a St. Louis Police Officer of Killing a Black Man? Bob Adelmann The decision on Friday to acquit a white St. Louis police officer in the fatal shooting of a black man back in December 2011 predictably set off rioting in the city. It didn’t occur to the rioters that, according to the evidence in the case, Officer Jason Stockley’s use of force was reasonable, to defend his own life against a potentially lethal threat exhibited by Anthony Lamar Smith. It didn’t matter that the judge found that the state failed to prove its allegation...

WICHITA, Kan. — A judge’s decision to acquit an officer of murder in the death of a black suspect came down to two major questions: Did the officer plant a gun, and did his outburst about killing the man seconds before the shooting signal premeditation? St. Louis Circuit Judge Timothy Wilson determined Friday that prosecutors failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Jason Stockley’s use of deadly force was not justifiable self-defense. Anthony Lamar Smith was killed in the 2011 encounter. “Ultimately when people argue about this case, they are going to be arguing whether the judge drew the...

Several businesses in and near downtown are closing early in response to the Jason Stockley verdict. The home office of Wells Fargo Advisors closed at 10 a.m. Friday. The 4,900 employees at the Market Street campus west of downtown were "strongly encouraged to take their laptops home" and continue working there," based on a statement from the company.

ST. LOUIS (Reuters) - A Missouri judge on Friday ruled a white former St. Louis police officer was not guilty of murder in the 2011 shooting of a black man, sending hundreds of protesters to the city's streets to voice their anger. With the National Guard on standby in case of violence, authorities appealed to protesters to march peacefully in a state that has seen racially charged clashes in the past. Jason Stockley, 36, was acquitted of first-degree murder for killing Anthony Lamar Smith, 24. The former policeman, who was arrested in May 2016, was accused of planting a gun...

ST. LOUIS • Former St. Louis police officer Jason Stockley was found not guilty Friday of murdering a man while on duty. St. Louis Circuit Judge Timothy Wilson's highly anticipated verdict found a white former St. Louis police officer not guilty of first-degree murder and amed criminal action in the December 2011 shooting death of a black drug suspect after a high-speed pursuit and crash. Activists, with support from some of the city's black clergy, had pledged disruptive protests ahead of St. Louis Circuit Judge Timothy Wilson's verdict.