UPDATE 9:18 a.m: Police shot a man who opened fire on officers during a protest in Ferguson, Mo. as part of the commemoration of the death of Michael Brown early Monday morning.
Officers had been tracking the man, whom they believe was armed, during the protest, said St. Louis County's police chief Jon Belmar at a news conference,according to the Associated Press.
The man began to shoot after he approached the officers, who were inside an unmarked police van. They began to fire from inside the vehicle and pursued the suspect when he ran.
Both sides fired back and forth at each other until the suspect was struck and fell down. He was then taken to a local hospital, where he was reported to be in "critical, unstable" condition, Belmar said.
The commemoration of Brown's death - which occurred on Aug. 9, 2014, when the unarmed 18-year-old black teen was shot and killed by then Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson - started with a solemn march in his honor, and as the day went on, the protest grew increasingly rowdy, with protesters blocking traffic and confronting police officers, until someone opened fire at around 11:15 p.m.
Several hundreds of people were gathered on West Florissant Avenue, the same spot where people rioted and looted last year after Brown's murder, and the sound of gunfire sent protesters and bystanders running for cover, according to the Associated Press.
Police did not say if there were any reported injuries, but a photographer for the AP saw a man lying face down, covered in blood, behind a boarded-up restaurant. An AP reporter claims to have seen a woman, overcome with grief, being consoled by friends yelling, "Why did they do it?"
A woman nearby fainted and a man nearby said: "They killed my brother!"
(2/2) During the gunfire, at least 2 unmarked cars took shots. We will release more details when available. pic.twitter.com/luPnp6iXqZ
— St. Louis County PD (@stlcountypd) August 10, 2015
The St. Louis County Police Department also Tweeted that two unmarked cars took shots during the gunfire and that additional details will be released once its available.
The anniversary of Brown's death generated repeated protests, but they had all had been peaceful until Sunday. The police had not made any arrests over the weekend.
Some of the police officers are now dressed in riot gear, including helmets with shields and bullet-proof vests, for the first time since the protests that have been going on for three consecutive nights, according to the Orange County Register.
Brown's father, Michael Sr., recently opened up about the death of his son, admitting that time has yet to heal the wounds and that his entire family is still in mourning.
"At the end of the day, I still lost my boy. I'm still hurting. My family's still hurting," he said before the procession where a drum corps, some cars and several hundreds of people joined on the five-mile route to Normandy High School.
Brown Sr. had also encouraged that there should be "no drama," and that everybody should mark his son's death in peace, HNGN previously reported.
