Michael Brown Death Anniversary: Black Man Shot During Protests Identified As Tyrone Harris Jr.

Update as of 7:09 a.m. EDT: Two teenagers were injured in a suspected drive-by-shooting Monday near a memorial for Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, a day after the one-year death anniversary of the black teen, who was shot on Aug. 9, 2014, St. Louis County police said early Monday.

The teens, aged 17 and 19, were shot by an unknown black man from the back of a passing vehicle, the victims told police, according to spokesman Shawn McGuire. Both victims are being treated at a hospital, the Associated Press reported, adding that neither received life-threatening injuries.

It's not clear if the shootings were related to the protests in Ferguson, which were marred by violence and gunfire, on Sunday and early Monday.

Update as of 5 a.m. EDT: A black man shot by police in Ferguson, Missouri, during protests to mark the one-year anniversary of Michael Brown's death, has been identified as 18-year-old Tyrone Harris Jr., the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported early Monday.

Harris’ father, who identified him, reportedly said that his son, who was described as being in a “critical, unstable” condition by the police chief, is out of surgery. Harris’ father also said that his son and Brown "were real close," according to the Post-Dispatch.

Last August, the unarmed Brown was shot dead by a white police officer. The incident triggered widespread protests in the St. Louis suburb that later spilled over to other parts of the country as more incidents of the use of excessive force by American law enforcement officials came to light.

Early Monday, the department refuted social media reports claiming that there were two shooting incidents on West Florissant related to the protests. Authorities said, in a statement, that one of the incidents was an officer-involved shooting, while the other was not a shooting incident and that it had occurred before shots were fired during clashes between police and protesters.

Update as of 3:30 a.m. EDT: One person shot by police during protests in Ferguson, Missouri, is in a "critical, unstable" condition, St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar said, at a press conference early Monday.

The injured man, who was being tracked by officers, fired shots at their unmarked police car following which the plainclothes officers, returned fire from inside the vehicle. They then pursued the man on foot, Belmar said.

The officers, who have been put on administrative leave following the shooting, have been on the force for between 6 years and 12 years. Belmar said they were wearing police vests but did not have body cameras on them.

"There was a remarkable amount of gunfire," Belmar said, at the conference. “I'm sure there have been some arrests.”

"It's troubling that people can't exercise their rights b/c violent people want to disrupt peaceful protests," Belmar added, at the conference.

Update as of 3 a.m. EDT: Police in Ferguson, Missouri, deployed tear gas canisters to disperse people protesting on the one-year anniversary of Michael Brown’s death, according to eyewitness reports on Twitter, which added that police fired rubber bullets into the crowd. Officials have not yet confirmed these reports.

Unrest in the St. Louis suburb continued late Sunday, and into early Monday, but there were no reports of arrests so far.

Update as of 2:30 a.m. EDT: Two people were shot during clashes between protesters and police in Ferguson, Missouri, late Sunday. Police said that the condition of the two people wounded in the incident was not immediately known, according to Reuters.

Update as of 1:25 a.m. EDT: The St. Louis County Police said Sunday night that an officer who came under "heavy gunfire" returned shots during a protest in Ferguson that began on the one-year anniversary of Michael Brown’s death.

“During the gunfire, at least 2 unmarked cars took shots,” the department said, in a statement on its Twitter account, and also posted photos of the vehicles with bullet holes. The scene of the protest was quiet after the gunfire, local media reports said.

The department confirmed the incident less than an hour after several shots were fired during demonstrations on West Florissant Avenue, but did not mention any injuries. However, an Associated Press photographer said he saw a man lying face down and covered in blood behind a restaurant, minutes after the shots were fired.

Police will hold a press conference at 2:30 a.m. (3:30 a.m. EDT).

Original story:

Several shots were fired in Ferguson, Missouri, during protests that erupted around demonstrations Sunday to mark the one-year anniversary of Michael Brown’s death. The St. Louis County Police Department is assisting Ferguson police near West Florissant and Ferguson Avenue where several protesters blocked traffic while shouting anti-police slogans.

Police in SWAT gear arrived near the protest sites to control the unruly crowd, according to eyewitnesses who wrote on their Twitter accounts. Several armored police vehicles also arrived at the scene where the shots were fired. Some local reports claimed that one person was taken to a hospital after shots were fired. At least one store was looted as protesters clashed with police. The police department also said that several objects were thrown at local police who responded to the scene.

“Our main goal is to make sure no more businesses suffer any damage. Minimal tonight but it has happened,” Jon Belmar, chief of St. Louis Police Department, said.

The St. Louis suburb witnessed weeks of unrest last year after the unarmed black teen was shot dead by a white police officer. A grand jury's decision not to indict Officer Darren Wilson also sparked demonstrations across the country over the use of excessive force by police.