More than 80 people arrested in St. Louis during 3rd night of protests

Dozens of people were arrested in St. Louis on Sunday, including a "rioter" who carried weapons and protective gear, which capped a third night of protests over a judge's decision to acquit a white former police officer in the 2011 shooting death of a black man, police said.
More than 80 people were arrested on Sunday in connection with the protests, which police said were “no longer peaceful” as of late Saturday night, and five weapons were confiscated, according to the St. Louis Police Department. At least 32 people were arrested earlier in the weekend as demonstrators blocked highways, damaged property and threw rocks at the mayor's house and bricks at police officers, police said. “People setting out do damage are being arrested and these criminals we've arrested should be held accountable and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” St. Louis Interim Police Chief Lawrence O’Toole said in a early-morning briefing on Monday. “We're in control. This is our city and we're going to protect it,” he added.

An unidentified chemical was thrown on police officers and a bicycle officer was transported to the hospital with an leg injury Sunday night.

The department also tweeted images of knives, guns, masks and other types of protective gear from a “rioter” who police said was arrested.

The weekend protests were mostly peaceful, according to the city's mayor, but police said “groups of criminals” were “creating chaos.” “Today we saw again that the vast majority of protesters were nonviolent,” St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson said during an early-morning briefing on Monday. “But for the third day in a row, the days have been calm and the nights have been destructive.” “The organizers and protestors that [were] there for the right reason didn't partake in any of the vandalism, many of us were gone,” Franks said in an Instagram post Saturday. “I want to make sure people know!” Afterward, they resumed large-scale marching through streets, similar to what they'd done in previous days, chanting slogans such as "this is what democracy looks like."