New Protests Begin in Ferguson | WPN World People News

New overnight protests formed in Ferguson, Missouri, site of 11 days of unrest after a local police officer shot and killed an unarmed black teenager.

Demonstrators began taking to the streets late Wednesday to voice anger at the August 9 shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown. The protests appeared to be relatively peaceful and smaller than in previous nights.

Two counter-protesters showed up carrying signs in support of the police officer, Darren Wilson. Television footage showed many people in the crowd shouting at those two people, telling them to "go home."

Earlier Wednesday, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder met in Ferguson with community leaders and residents of the town, saying he has assigned the federal government's "most experienced agents and prosecutors" to the case.

Holder also spent time with Michael Brown's parents and promised them a "fair and independent inquiry" into the death of their son.

Also Wednesday, a grand jury investigating the fatal shooting of Brown began hearing evidence in the case. The grand jury, which convened in the nearby city of Clayton, Missouri, will review the evidence and determine whether to charge officer Wilson in the death of the teenager.

Wilson is on paid leave, with Brown's family and supporters calling for his arrest.

Daily rallies in Ferguson have turned violent at times in the past 11 days. Police have arrested more than 100 protesters, primarily for refusing to leave the streets. Police say at least two people have been wounded by gunshots fired from within the crowd of protesters.

In an opinion piece in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch Wednesday, Holder called for trust to be built between law enforcement and the public as federal and local investigations into Michael Brown's death continue.

At the time of his death, Brown was suspected of shoplifting and roughing up a storekeeper. Authorities, however, say the officer, Darren Wilson, did not know that Brown was a robbery suspect.

An independent autopsy requested by Brown's family showed he was shot six times, including twice in the head. A Brown family attorney said the teen was trying to surrender to police when he was shot.

Source: Voice of America