St Louis Police Officer Shoots Black Teenager, Sparks Protests

Protesters took to the streets in St. Louis on Wednesday after a police officer shot and killed an 18-year-old. The version of events differs between police and protesters.

According to St.Louis Post-Dispatch, police say four pedestrians fled after they were stopped by an off-duty officer on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. The officer chased one of the men, later identified as Vonderrick Myers Jr., and claims the teenager jumped out of some bushes, struggled with him, then pulled out a gun and shot at him. The officer says he returned fire, killing Myers.

But several witnesses say Myers was unarmed. “He had a sandwich in his hand, and they thought it was a gun,” Teyonna Myers, the victim’s cousin said.”It’s like Michael Brown all over again.”

The police version, according to the Dispatch:

The teenager had a gun and fired at least three shots at the officer, who returned fire, the chief said. The teenager attempted to fire more but his gun jammed, Dotson said.

The officer fired 17 times, he said. It is unclear how many times the teenager was shot.

Police recovered a 9mm Ruger, he said.

Dotson did not identify the 18-year-old but said he “was no stranger to law enforcement.”

The chief said he is unaware of any video that captured the shooting.

A wildly different version of events:

“My nephew was coming out of a store from purchasing a sandwich. Security was supposedly searching for someone else. They Tased him,” Williams said. “I don’t know how this happened, but they went off and shot him 16 times. That’s outright murder.”

A police spokeswoman said the officer did not have a Taser.

Williams said Myers worked at a warehouse and attended high school.

Lavell Boyd, 47, lives in neighborhood and said he happened upon the scene as he was going to a store on Shaw to pick up a sandwich. Boyd said he heard 14 or 15 shots as he was in his car.

“When I pulled up I saw the cop standing over him (Myers) then he pointed the gun at everyone else telling everyone to get back while he was searching for another clip,” Boyd said.

Boyd said he heard others nearby telling the officer “you killed my friend.”

Relatives say Myers worked in a warehouse and attended high school. “My nephew was coming out of a store from purchasing a sandwich. Security was supposedly searching for someone else. They Tased him,” Jackie Williams, who said he talked with several witnesses, said. “I don’t know how this happened, but they went off and shot him 16 times. That’s outright murder.”

According to nearby resident Lavell Boyd, he heard 14 or 15 shots while on his way to get food at a nearby store. “When I pulled up I saw the cop standing over him (Myers) then he pointed the gun at everyone else telling everyone to get back while he was searching for another clip,” Boyd told the Dispatch.

“16 times”
Buzzfeed writes that Myers was stopped on a “pedestrian check.”

This shooting happened just 12 miles from where Michael Brown was shot and killed at the hands of a police officer.

Image: AP

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