ST. LOUIS (TheBlaze/AP) — Seventeen protesters were arrested in a convenience store parking after "attempting to storm" the business and "throwing rocks" at police early Sunday morning, St. Louis Police Chief Sam Dotson said.
Demonstrators protesting the killings of 18-year-olds Michael Brown by a Ferguson, Missouri Police officer and Vonderrit Myers Jr. by an off duty St. Louis police officer stage a sit-in at a gas station on October 12, 2014 in St Louis, Missouri. (Image source: Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Demonstrators protesting the killings of 18-year-olds Michael Brown by a Ferguson, Missouri Police officer and Vonderrit Myers Jr. by an off duty St. Louis police officer are confronted by police wearing riot gear on October 12, 2014 in St Louis, Missouri. (Image source: Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Dotson tweeted several times about the activities of protesters gathered at the Quicktrip parking lot amid a four-day summit in St. Louis to protest the early August police shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Brown.
Protestors attempting to storm Quicktrip at Vandeventer & Chouteau. All protestors engaging in illegal behavior will be subject to arrest.
— Chief Sam Dotson (@ChiefSLMPD) October 12, 2014The @SLMPD has alerted Quicktrips in the area to be on alert for potential protestors & civil unrest. This behavior will not be tolerated.
— Chief Sam Dotson (@ChiefSLMPD) October 12, 2014Just after 3 a.m Dotson tweeted that "arrests have been made for continued illegal behavior."
Protestors now throwing rocks at the police. Arrests have been made for continued illegal behavior.
— Chief Sam Dotson (@ChiefSLMPD) October 12, 2014Police said in an email that there were no reports of injuries or property damage and that the arrests were for unlawful assembly.
The QuikTrip lot is near where 18-year-old Vonderrit D. Myers was killed after police said he opened fire on an off-duty officer, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. The most recent shooting reignited anger among residents and set the stage for the late-night protest.
Protest leaders said no rocks were thrown at officers, the Washington Post reported.
