Dozens of officers injured during a demonstration in Memphis after a task force killed a man



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Several members of the security forces in Memphis were injured during a protest that began after the federal authorities killed a man that they were trying to arrest on Wednesday, officials said. officials.

A driver wanted for several arrest warrants attempted to hit police vehicles when members of a US Marshals Service fugitive regional task force tried to arrest him in the police station. Frayser community of Memphis around 19:00, said information officer Keli McAlister. The man, who was not publicly identified, then took the vehicle with a weapon, said McAlister.

"The officers fired, hitting and killing the individual," said McAlister. No officer was injured in the incident, she said.

After the shooting, a crowd gathered to protest the shooting.

Memphis police officers, who were not involved in the shooting, were called in to help. Some in the crowd threw stones and other items at the police, local media reported.

Shelby County Sheriff's deputies prepare to face the crowd as protesters flood the streets of the Frayser community angrily at the shooting of a young American by US marshal Marshals earlier in the evening of Wednesday 12 June 2019 in Memphis, Tennessee.Jim Weber / AP

About 25 police officers among all the agencies that responded were injured, said at a press conference Michael Rallings, director of the Memphis Police Department, although it acts for the most part from minor injuries.

"The officers have done a tremendous job tonight, showing restraint in a very unstable situation," said Rallings. He added that officers had to wear protective gear when the crowd throwing objects and that a "chemical agent" was being used to disperse the crowd.

The Mayor of Memphis, Jim Strickland, said in an online statement released Thursday morning that six of the injured policemen had been taken to the hospital and that at least two journalists had also been injured.

Memphis police said three people were arrested during the violence.

The mayor said police cars were vandalized and windows were broken in a fire station. "Let's be clear: the aggression against our officers and deputies tonight was not justified," said Strickland in his statement.

The shooting involved officers from the United States Marshals Service (Working Group on Gulf Coast Regional Fugitives, Tennessee Investigation Bureau), which is investigating the shooting, said in a statement.

Officers were seen in riot gear, and the video footage of the scene showed a police car with a broken window, said the NBC's affiliate, WMC of Memphis.

A Memphis police officer watches a damaged police car after protesters take to the streets of the Frayser community angry at an American kid's shooting by Marshals earlier in the evening of Wednesday, June 12, 2019. Memphis (Tennessee).Mark Weber / AP

Some in the crowd dispersed in the rain around 10 pm, reported Memphis' The Commercial Appeal newspaper.

Shelby County Commissioner Tami Sawyer said about 300 people joined the protest. "Every lost life should count … every person, how many times will it be okay that can not continue to be," she said. tweeted after going to the Frayser area.

The shooting occurred in a northern district of Memphis, according to the state 's investigation agency.

McAlister said the shooting investigation involving officers was underway. When asked how many marshals had opened fire, McAlister replied that it was part of the investigation but that several marshals were on the scene.

The police chief acknowledged the community members who tried to spread the word.

"I want to congratulate the people who have not decided to commit acts of violence against the police, who have shown restraint – I know that there were a lot of people in the crowd who tried to help keep everyone calm, "Rallings said.

"My message tonight is this: we should all wait and make sure we know exactly what happened before spreading misinformation or jumping to conclusions," he said. He added that the police department supported the protests "but we will not allow any acts of violence, we will not allow the destruction of property."

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