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St. Louis: Massive Protests Erupt over Acquittal of White Ex-Cop for Murder of Anthony Lamar Smith

HeadlineSep 18, 2017

In St. Louis, Missouri, more than 80 people were arrested Sunday in a third straight night of protests over the acquittal of a white former police officer for the murder of 24-year-old African American Anthony Lamar Smith. Police officer Jason Stockley shot and killed Smith in 2011 after a high-speed chase. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that during the chase, Officer Stockley said he was “going to kill this motherf***er, don’t you know it.” He then told his partner to ram into the back of Smith’s car, which the other officer did. Officer Stockley then approached Smith’s car and fired five shots, killing Anthony Lamar Smith. At the time, Stockley was carrying both his service gun and a personal AK-47, which he was not authorized to carry while on duty. On Friday, Judge Timothy Wilson acquitted Stockley of first-degree murder charges, after the former officer waived his right to a jury trial. Thousands poured into the streets on Friday, Saturday and Sunday for massive protests. This is protestor Paulette Wilkes.

Paulette Wilkes: “We need to march every day 'til whenever, and whenever doesn't have an end. I’m for this. Every day, we should protest. Change has to come, and it has to come now. We need to be out here tomorrow. We need to be out here Sunday, Monday, into next year or the year after, until a bill is written that a police no longer can take a black man’s life and don’t have a consequence.”

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