143 arrested after protest blocks St. Louis highway traffic
ST. LOUIS — Police arrested 143 people after protesters blocked traffic on a busy highway near downtown St. Louis as part of the ongoing demonstrations against the acquittal of a white former police officer in the 2011 killing of a black man.
Protesters gathered Tuesday evening and marched to Interstate 64, where some walked onto the roadway and blocked traffic for several minutes. Police began arresting people after protesters left the highway.
Police haven’t said what charges they will face. A spokeswoman for the Circuit Attorney’s office said they likely will be charged in municipal court.
Authorities have made more than 300 arrests at demonstrations over the Sept. 15 acquittal of former officer Jason Stockley in the shooting death of 24-year-old Anthony Lamar Smith following a high-speed chase.