In Ferguson, Mo., a week of protests followed last Saturday's fatal shooting of an unarmed 18-year-old, Mike Brown, by a police officer.
For days, Ferguson police refused to detail the circumstances of Brown's death, release their report or his autopsy results, or to name his killer. Protesters took to the streets, where they were met by riot police, armored personnel carriers, snipers aiming into the crowd, and clouds of tear gas. Several reporters were detained after filming the police's conduct.
On Thursday, Ferguson police were taken off the streets by Governer Jay Nixon and replaced with the state's Highway Patrol. On Friday, Ferguson's police chief finally released a dossier naming the victim as a robbery suspect—and named his killer, Darren Wilson. The report of the incident itself, however, remains withheld.
Riot police stand guard as demonstrators protest the shooting death of teenager Michael Brown [Reuters]
A protester throws back a smoke bomb in Ferguson, Missouri. [Reuters]
A police sniper takes aim at protestors in Ferguson, Missouri.
In this image posted to Twitter by Mario Anzuoni, police in gas masks stand guard at an intersection in Ferguson.
Women light candles while attending a vigil to honor Mike Brown. [Reuters]
Protesters chant during a peaceful demonstration.
A man with a walking stick passes protest messages written in a parking lot, shortly before the announcement of the name of the officer involved in the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson. [Reuters]
A makeshift memorial is pictured near where black teenager Michael Brown was shot to death by Darren Wilson. [Reuters]
A police officer conceals his or her identity with a mask in Ferguson, Mo. [Reuters]
A short video recorded by Antonio French shows a barrage of tear gas canisters exploding in Ferguson.
Officers in body armor and camouflage, armored trucks and roof-mounted snipers characterized the response to Ferguson protests, raising questions about the militarization and poor training of police.
Whitney Curtis and Scott Olson's photos, of a young man being approached by police, were among the first to erupt on social networks, bringing the event to national awareness.
Ferguson Police Chief Thomas Jackson announcing the name of the officer who killed Mike Brown. [REUTERS/Lucas Jackson]
Jon Swaine took this photo of Highway patrol captain Ron Johnson, who took over policing in Ferguson Thursday after the quasi-military crackdown drew national criticism and outrage. His style was markedly different: instead of surrounding protesters with dogs and tear gas, he joined them on a march through Ferguson. "A corner turned?," wondered Swaine.
@eyeFLOODpanties throws a tear gas canister back at police. He reports that the chips he was eating when attacked were Red Hot Riplets brand.
A news crew were gassed by police while filming behind their lines, an event captured on video by another broadcaster. Armored police subsequently interfered with their equipment after the reporters fled, but Ferguson police denied the targeting was intentional.
On twitter, military veteran Brandon Friedman posted this image to demonstrate that Ferguson police were more elaborately equipped than he was when invading Iraq.
