St. Louis Protesters Target Busch Stadium, Shut Down Intersection

ST. LOUIS, MO — Hundreds of protesters gathered and chanted outside Busch Stadium as the St. Louis Cardinals played the Chicago Cubs to protest the acquittal of a white former police officer in the killing of a black suspect.

Demonstrations have been ongoing since Sept. 15, when Jason Stockley was ruled not guilty of first-degree murder in the 2011 shooting death of Anthony Lamar Smith.

Stockley killed Smith in 2011 after a police chase. He testified that he shot Smith in self-defense, but prosecutors alleged Stockley planted the gun found in Smith's car. Judge Timothy Wilson ruled prosecutors didn't prove murder beyond a reasonable doubt.

About 300 demonstrators gathered for a short time Monday night outside the stadium and chanted, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. They then moved downtown and blocked off an intersection to listen to speeches from two mothers of young men killed by police. The peaceful crowd dispersed around 9:30 p.m. (For more information on the Stockley protests and other St. Louis stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

Earlier in the day, about 400 people marched to police headquarters wearing tape over their mouths to silently protest what they describe as police violence against minorities.

Nearly two dozen protesters were arrested at the St. Louis Galleria in Richmond Heights over the weekend, and several elected officials and faith leaders called for an investigation into what they're calling forceful arrests.

A lawsuit filed by the the American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri accused police of misconduct by using chemical weapons, interfering with video of police activity and violating due process.

Photo credit: St. Louis Police Department via AP