ST. LOUIS: Rioting, looting spreads for second night; more predicted

Police in Ferguson, Missouri shot and killed Michael Brown, 18, who attacked a police officer by pushing the cop back into a squad car.  Brown and the officer struggled for the officer’s weapon inside the police car.  The officer fired one shot and the struggle then moved outside the car where the suspect continued the confrontation and was shot several more times.

From your deadly force training, folks:  Anyone who is grabbing for your firearm is considered armed in the eyes of the law.

Of course, in the predominately black Ferguson, Missouri, the locals take a dim and skeptical view of the police and use of force – even against people who attack law enforcement officers.

This case was tailor-made, as the family sought out the media to claim their child would never do such a thing and that police shot down their boy in cold blood – for no good reason, of course.  From the USA Today:  “Brown’s mother, Lesley McSpadden, said Sunday she doesn’t understand why police didn’t subdue her son with a club or Taser.  She said police have not explained why the officer confronted him.”  And she also said this:  “My son just turned 18 and graduated from high school, and he don’t bother nobody.”

He don’t bother nobody.

Yep.  He did however wear his pants around his thighs, including as he finished bleeding out after attacking a cop and trying to take the cop’s gun.

A large group left their apartments and gathered at the scene of the incident during the day Saturday.

And from there, things went downhill.

There were chants of “Kill the Police” and “KKK” by the crowd against police.  Crowds taunted police.

As the sun went down, all hell broke loose.

Then Sunday, there were more “protests” and taunting of the police.

And Sunday evening?

The looting and rioting spread to Dellwood as well.

As things calmed down Monday morning (today as of this writing), and some of the comments from the locals is sickening.

The St. Louis Post Dispatch reported:

DeAndre Smith, 30, of Ferguson was happy to justify the looting when a reporter asked him about it Monday morning.

“This is exactly what is supposed to be happening when an injustice is happening in your community,” he said, adding: “You have kids getting killed for nothing.”

Smith, who moved to St. Louis from New York in December, said there could be more to come.

“I don’t think it’s over honestly,” he said. “I just think they got a taste of what fighting back means.”

Reaction among the locals wasn’t all vulgar.

Karl McCarty, 39, of Bellefontaine Neighbors, watched the chaos Sunday night and was back again Monday. He said he had a message for the young men leading the charge:

“Let it go, let justice prevail. And if doesn’t prevail in the way they want, don’t do this again.”

McCarty said as a black man he sympathizes with the mother of Brown greatly, but thinks the protest becoming violent and destructive was all wrong.

“Sometime we create our own demise. You didn’t hurt Ferguson police, you hurt yourself,” said McCarty, who is a contractor in St. Louis.

And these:

Leonette Hilliard, who works as a middle school English teacher, stopped by the QuikTrip. Using one of her school folders, she wrote a note to the store and take it to the side wall.

“Corporate neighbor: I am sorry this act of robbery and violence has happened. Please return soon.”

The note was taped over graffiti saying “187 county police,” the 187 a slang reference to murder.

She said she comes to the store to two or three times per week and has been doing so for about 15 years.

“This just doesn’t represent who we are as a community and I wanted just to say something to do something that was productive,” she said.

Pamela Richardson, 51, of Jennings, came to Ferguson on Monday morning and started picking up trash left by the looters at the QuikTrip store. A bit of smoke was still coming from the burned-out building. She rounded up beer cans and discarded Powerball tickets and crushed soda cans from the lot.

“It sends the wrong kind of message,” she said of the looters. “Don’t destroy other people’s property that they worked hard for because something else has happened. One doesn’t outweigh the other, you know. No connection between the two.”

There’s hope this will stop and those responsible will face their day in court.

Our prediction:  There’s a strong likelihood that crowds will form today as more of the locals decide they like (more) free stuff.  They will gather in groups and the whole process will begin anew tonight.  If not before.

If you have to go to St. Louis, avoid the near north end.  Also, as always, remember to take your personal defense tools and avoid any mobs.