Witnesses Say a Motorist Hit St. Louis Protesters in an Intersection. After They Chased Down and Surrounded His Minivan, the Driver Pulled Out a Gun.

A motorist was photographed pulling out a gun inside his minivan after witnesses said he hit several protesters in a St. Louis intersection Wednesday night, KTVI-TV reported.

The incident appears to have started when protesters blocked traffic and climbed on the hood of the minivan:

Image source: CBS News

Much of the incident was photographed by St. Louis Post-Dispatch photographer David Carson, who caught images of protesters climbing on the van's hood, the motorist pulling away and apparently hitting protesters, the driver pulling out a gun, and police arresting him:

Pictures w/ captions from tonight's incident where a motorist stuck some protesters with is car in the CWE in #STL pic.twitter.com/dhkVVqUrYy

— David Carson (@PDPJ) December 4, 2014

After the motorist allegedly hit protesters, other photos by Carson show protesters chasing down the minivan; Carson tweeted that protesters surrounded it. Police prevented protesters from climbing on the minivan but its rear window was broken, KTVI reported.

Image source: CBS News

The protesters were marching and blocking traffic after a grand jury decided not to indict a white New York City police officer accused of using a chokehold that resulted in the death of an unarmed black man in July.

Demonstrators march in the streets of St. Louis on Dec. 3, 2014 amid nationwide protests that a New York City grand jury decided not to indict a white police officer in the July death of Eric Garner in Staten Island, New York. (Michael B. Thomas/AFP/Getty Images)

Demonstrators march in protest in St. Louis, Dec. 3, 2014. (Michael B. Thomas/AFP/Getty Images)

The ruling sparked protests in many areas of the U.S., not unlike the reaction after a grand jury also chose not to indict Officer Darren Wilson, who fatally shot 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, in August.

This story has been updated.