A police officer shot and killed a man who pointed a gun towards him at a Mobil Gas Station in Berkeley, around 11:15 p.m. Tuesday, according to a statement from St. Louis County Police.
The officer is employed by the city of Berkeley. The deceased subject’s identity has not been confirmed by police.
St. Louis County Police released a statement in the early morning Wednesday, which reported that:
- The officer exited his vehicle and approached two young men standing near the Mobil Gas Station at 6800 N. Hanley Road.
- One of the men pulled out a handgun, pointing it at the officer.
- The officer then fired several shots and killed the man pointing the gun.
According to bystanders and legal observers, the subject's body was not removed from the scene until approximately 1:20 a.m.
Soon after the shooting, bystanders and people frequently involved in Ferguson protests began to gather at the gas station. The crowd remained for several hours, swelling to about 300. A nearby exit off of I-170 at North Hanley Road was closed to traffic.
According to legal observers on the scene, police used flash grenades and pepper spray to disperse a group of protesters who had pushed through police tape. At least three arrests were made.
"People are mad. We're tired of losing young black lives,” said Orlando Brown, of St. Charles, who said he was pepper sprayed by police.
"People kind of fell back to regroup and reorganize but this here... It just put fuel on the fire again," Brown said. "This city right now is a powder keg."
Berkeley is a city of about 9,100 people just west of Ferguson in north St. Louis County. The municipality is patrolled by its own police department.