Officer’s acquittal sparks protests in St. Louis

Violent protests broke out in St. Louis on Friday night following the acquittal of a white police officer in an African-American man’s shooting death. Nine police officers were injured Friday, mainly by thrown objects such as bricks, water bottles, and rocks, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. About 1,000 protesters surrounded the home of St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson, breaking at least two windows and throwing red paint on the house before officers in riot gear dispersed them. Friday morning, a judge found former police officer Jason Stockley not guilty in the 2011 shooting of Anthony Lamar Smith. Stockley, who was charged with first-degree murder, said he saw Smith holding a gun and felt he was in imminent danger. Prosecutors said the officer planted a gun in Smith’s car after the shooting. Judge Timothy Wilson wrote in his verdict that the prosecutors did not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Stockley acted in malice and not self-defense.