Missouri Governor Calls Berkeley Shooting ‘Reminder’ of Difficult Job Police Officers Have
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Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images(BERKELEY, Mo.) — Gov. Jay Nixon, D-Mo. called the shooting of a teenager by a police officer in Berkeley on Tuesday night a “reminder” of the tough job police officers do on a daily basis.
“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,” the Missouri governor said in a statement on Wednesday.
On Tuesday night, Antonio Martin, 18, was shot by a police officer. St. Louis County Chief of Police Jon Belmar said Wednesday that the officer responded to a report of a larceny. During what appears to be a conversation with Martin, surveillance footage shows the the teen raising his arm — police say while holding a gun — at which point the officer fired his own weapon three times, killing the teen.
A crowd of over 200 people swarmed the gas station where the shooting took place on Tuesday night.
On Wednesday night, police prevented protesters from breaking into stores at a strip mall nearby. At least one person was escorted away by police.
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