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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 26 sepTember 2017

Concerns raised about arrests at suburban St. Louis protest

By JIM SALTER publican Attorney General
Associated Press Josh Hawley said he would
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Several hire an independent coun-
elected officials and faith sel to investigate claims
leaders on Monday called that evidence was with-
for an investigation into the held in a federal civil rights
way police arrested and lawsuit over Smith’s shoot-
incarcerated protesters at ing.
a suburban St. Louis mall, Albert Watkins, an attorney
with many referring to the for Smith’s fiancée and
altercation as a “police daughter, said the attor-
riot.” ney general’s office during
Police from both agencies that lawsuit failed to pro-
involved in the arrests de- vide DNA evidence found
fended officers’ actions, on a gun in Smith’s car
saying demonstrators got or additional video foot-
out of hand Saturday at age that was later used in
the St. Louis Galleria in the criminal case against
Richmond Heights, Mis- Stockley. Watkins said he’s
souri, and officers had no not sure who’s at fault for
choice but to take some of withholding that evidence,
them to the ground. but that the lawsuit con-
The protest was among sequently was “horribly
many in St. Louis and its compromised in a fashion
suburbs since a judge ruled that truly compromises the In a Saturday, Sept. 23, 2017 photo, police make several arrests of people protesting the Sept. 15
in mid-September that for- integrity of our justice sys- acquittal of former police officer Jason Stockley in the death of a black man, at the St. Louis Gal-
mer police officer Jason tem.” leria.
Stockley was not guilty of As for the Galleria protest, (Christian Gooden/St. Louis Post/AP)
first-degree murder in the those arrested included a management, police said. sist.Marjorie Theodore, who photographer took pic-
death of Anthony Lamar 13-year-old boy and the Someone threw a trash was at the protest, told re- tures showing Frye on the
Smith, a black suspect. Rev. Kayla Frye of St. Pe- can at officers. Richmond porters Monday that there back of a St. Louis County
Nearly 200 people have ter AME Church in St. Louis. Heights Capt. Gerry Rohr was so much noise Satur- officer as he appeared to
been arrested since the Frye did not participate in used a bullhorn to order the day that she couldn’t make be making an arrest. An-
Sept. 15 ruling. Monday’s news confer- crowd to disperse. He said out what was said over the other picture showed Frye
Among them were 22 peo- ence, which was held at he issued the same warn- bullhorn. Her 33-year-old being arrested. Some said
ple arrested at the Galle- her church. ing two more times over son was among those ar- the second photo showed
ria. She and six other protesters several minutes as St. Louis rested. her being choked by an of-
“A police riot broke out, were charged with rioting County police arrived to as- A St. Louis Post-Dispatch ficer. q
but let me be clear — it and resisting arrest after
was terrorism,” the Rev. Saturday’s demonstration.
Frye was also charged with
Karen Anderson of Ward assault for allegedly jump- Murder trial set for man who
Chapel AME Church in Flo-
rissant said at a news con- ing on the back of a police
ference involving about officer. The other 15 peo- evaded capture for 68 days
three dozen people, in- ple arrested were referred
cluding pastors, a rabbi to Richmond Heights mu- BANGOR, Maine (AP) — gled over her gun after she under her pillow after they
and state lawmakers. She nicipal court for charges. Prosecutors say a Maine shot at him. broke up.
and several other speak- The protest began with man accused of killing Burton’s murder trial got un- The 40-year-old from Ab-
ers urged an investigation about 150 people march- his ex-girlfriend and then derway Monday in Bangor. bot had eluded capture
of the way police are han- ing through the upscale evading capture for two He’s charged with fatally by roaming the woods
dling protesters, through mall. Things took a turn months acted out of jeal- shooting the single mother near where he grew up.
the U.S. Department of when protesters blocked ousy. But a defense lawyer of two at her home in Park- He turned himself in August
Justice, the Missouri Legis- an escalator and sought says Robert Burton never man in June 2015. 2015. He had been on the
lature or some other body. to go the second floor, intended to kill Stephanie Police say Gebo feared run for 68 days, the longest
Also Monday, Missouri Re- against the wishes of mall Gebo, and that they strug- Burton and slept with a gun manhunt in state history. q