[2] Smith was previously convicted for drug distribution and unlawful possession of a firearm, and was out on probation for a theft charge at the time of the incident.
[1] After the car was stopped, Stockley and his partner, Brian Bianchi, approached Smith's vehicle at West Florissant and Acme Avenues in north St.
[7] During the trial, the prosecution had argued that the revolver found in Smith's car had been planted by Stockley to justify the shooting.
[9] Prior to the verdict, a group of clergy publicly stated that an acquittal would result in "mass disruption" in the city.
[13] Protesters in attendance reported not hearing an order of dispersal before tear gas, and an estimated 250 people who took shelter in a nearby synagogue described being "held hostage" under threat of arrest.
[14] The next day, the band U2 and singer Ed Sheeran both cancelled their weekend concerts in St. Louis out of safety concerns over ongoing protests.
[17] Protests continued on September 17 in the late afternoon, beginning outside the St. Louis police department, and demonstrators marched through the streets.
[19] Police response to protests was criticized as unconstitutional and excessive force by the American Civil Liberties Union following a video release of law enforcement officers chanting "Whose streets?
Mayor Lyda Krewson expressed gratitude to the police and cancelled town halls that were scheduled through the following week.