An off-duty police officer fatally shot an 18-year-old man in south St. Louis Wednesday, sparking a night of unrest and activism in the city.
The shooting happened in the St. Louis’s Shaw Neighborhood, and involved an officer working a department-approved secondary job for a private security company, Police Chief Sam Dotson said at an early-morning news conference.
David Carson/St. Louis Post-Dispatch/AP Photo
PHOTO: A crowd gathers near the scene in the 4100 block of Shaw Boulevard where a man was fatally shot by an off-duty St. Louis police officer, Oct. 8, 2014.
The officer approached a group of men. One of the men took off running, Dotson said, so the officer pursued. The suspect turned and fired three rounds at the officer before his gun jammed, Dotson said.
The officer – who was not injured – returned fire, firing 17 times and fatally wounding the man, Dotson said.
A gun was recovered at the scene. The officer was not injured. The officer has been placed on administrative leave, as per department policy, police said.
David Carson/St. Louis Post-Dispatch/AP Photo
PHOTO: A crowd gathers Wednesday near the scene in south St. Louis where a man was fatally shot by an off-duty St. Louis police officer, Oct. 8, 2014.
Police have not identified the officer or the man who died.
Following the shooting, activists took to the streets of St. Louis, marching and chanting, seeking answers.
People also shared their frustration on social media, with #shawshooting the most popular national trending topic on Twitter.
The shooting comes nearly two months after the police shooting of Michael Brown, 18, in the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson, located about 20 miles away.
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