Black punk teen raised gun before officer killed him near Ferguson

[White Knights]

(CNN) -- A Missouri police officer shoots and kills a teenager
just two miles from the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson, where
another young man's death months earlier set off protests across
the country.

But even though both cases involved white officers and black
teens, don't compare Tuesday night's shooting in Berkeley to
what happened in the town down the road, Berkeley's mayor says.

Surveillance video appears to show a person -- identified by
police and his family as Antonio Martin, 18 -- pointing a gun at
an officer in a gas station parking lot in Berkeley right before
the officer fatally shot the teen, Berkeley Mayor Theodore
Hoskins told reporters Wednesday.

St. Louis County Police released on YouTube videos from three
different angles that captured parts of the scene.

The shooting led to a tense couple of hours at the station,
where scuffles with police broke out -- and what appeared to be
lit fireworks were thrown -- as scores of people gathered to see
what happened in an area still emotional over the August 9
shooting of Michael Brown.

But Hoskins, who is black, said that this shooting cannot be
likened to Brown's death, in part because unlike the Ferguson
case, this one was captured on video and allegedly involves an
armed teen.

"We reviewed the video and it appears that there was a gun
pointed at the officer before the officer fired," Hoskins said.
"(It) does not appear ... that the police officer initiated."

Hoskins promised a thorough investigation.

"I will not tolerate brutality of any policeman on our
citizens," Hoskins told CNN. He added that people can "rest
assured that I will investigate this independently and make a
complete report to the community."

Gov. Jay Nixon issued a brief statement saying, "The events in
Berkeley are a reminder that law enforcement officers have a
difficult, and often dangerous, job in protecting themselves and
law-abiding citizens."

A small group of protesters marched along some roads, including
a highway, on Wednesday night, with some help from police.

"Police are actually blocking the intersections for the
protesters," St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter Nicholas J.C.
Pistor tweeted.

Martin faced a series of criminal charges over the past 15
months, including assault, armed robbery, unlawful use of a
weapon, armed criminal action and stealing, CNN affiliate KMOV
reported. The station showed Martin's tearful mother Toni Martin
saying her son was "trying to get his life back together."

Police: Officer was investigating alleged theft

County Police Chief Jon Belmar said the shooting was tragic, but
stressed the teen pointed a gun "straight out" at the officer,
who fired in self-defense.

"I understand the emotions ... but I think we need to understand
the context of what happens ... with these types of situations,"
Belmar, whose department is investigating the shooting, told
reporters.

Belmar said the officer, a 34-year-old, six-year Berkeley police
veteran, was responding to a report of a theft when he pulled
into the parking lot of a Mobil gas station in Berkeley shortly
before 11:15 p.m.

He left his cruiser and talked to two men in the lot.
Eventually, as the officer stood by the driver's side tire of
his cruiser, one of the men backed away from the cruiser's
passenger side headlight, then stepped forward again pointing a
gun at the officer, Belmar said.

The officer, whom police did not name, lost balance and fell as
he moved back in reaction, but managed to fire what
investigators believe were three shots, hitting the gunman at
least once, Belmar said.

The slain teen is not believed to have fired his weapon, a
loaded 9mm handgun that police recovered at the scene, Belmar
said. Police later released a photo of the weapon.

Meanwhile, there was a shooting in St. Louis on Wednesday. CNN
affiliate KMOV reported one person was shot to death and three
were in critical condition. No other details were immediately
available.

Surveillance video, but body camera wasn't worn

In the Martin case, video released by authorities showed a
second man nearby who fled when the shooting occurred.
Authorities are looking to interview him.

Martin's father, Jerome Green, said his son had indicated he was
going out to meet his girlfriend and had not mentioned any other
person who might be with them.

"He was supposed to come home," Green said. "We're getting ready
for the holiday; everyone wanted to see him. My grandmother
hadn't seen him for a while."

The officer involved was given a body camera before he left for
patrol, but he wasn't wearing it during the shooting, possibly
because he was distracted when a supervisor gave it to him
earlier Tuesday, Belmar said.

Hoskins said this didn't bother him, in part because the city,
with three cameras for its 31 officers, had just started
training officers to use them.

The cruiser's dashboard camera also wasn't recording, because
the car's emergency lights hadn't been activated, Belmar said.
The officer will be placed on administrative leave until the
investigation is completed.

Green said Martin lived with his parents, brother and sister.

Protest, scuffle

Protesters late Tuesday and early Wednesday gathered around an
ethnically diverse group of dozens of police officers, who stood
between them and the scene. People in the crowd screamed at
police. Others spoke more calmly.

What looked like a firework exploded near a gas pump, scattering
people and temporarily filling the area with thick, white smoke,
video from CNN affiliate KMOV showed.

Four people were arrested on suspicion of assaulting officers,
Belmar said. One police officer was sent to an emergency room
after injuring himself while trying to get away from the
firework, Belmar said.

Another officer was treated at a hospital after being hit in the
head with a rock or a brick, Belmar said.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch photographer David Carson said some of
the protesters damaged police cars. CNN showed images of one
squad car with a large dent in its side.

KMOV video showed a white plume rising at another location down
the street. Belmar said someone had tried to set a fire at a
nearby store, but someone extinguished it.

Before sunup, protesters thinned out, and those remaining stood
calmly behind police tape.

Tuesday's incident came about a month after a St. Louis County
grand jury declined to indict Ferguson Police Officer Darren
Wilson for fatally shooting Michael Brown on August 9.

Authorities said Brown, who was black, wasn't armed at the time,
but that he tried to take Wilson's gun while the officer was in
his vehicle during an encounter in Ferguson. Some witness
accounts said Wilson left his car and eventually fired while
Brown, 18, had his hands up in surrender, but others disputed
this. Police said Wilson fired in self-defense as Brown charged
him.

Berkeley is a city of about 8,000 people flanked by St. Louis
International Airport to the west and Ferguson to the east.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/24/justice/missouri-officer-involved-
shooting/

Merry Christmas, porch apes.