Protesters and police engaged in fresh overnight clashes in the central U.S. town of Ferguson, Missouri, amid tensions linked to the shooting death of an unarmed black teenager by a white police officer.
Police in riot gear fired stun grenades and tear gas at protesters who gathered on the streets of Ferguson, which had descended into chaos following peaceful protests. "Molotov cocktails" and bottles were thrown in the direction of heavily armored police.
A police official, Captain Ron Johnson, told reporters early Tuesday that police came under heavy attack but did not fire a shot. He said two people were wounded by shots fired from within the crowd of protesters. Many protesters seemed to be defying orders from police to disperse, and Johnson said 31 people were arrested.
He noted that most of the protesters were peaceful, but that a small minority of people turned the demonstrations violent. He said officials will not let "criminals" define the community of Ferguson.
National Guard troops could be seen on the fringes of the gathering. Those troops arrived in Ferguson earlier Monday at the request of Missouri Governor Jay Nixon to bolster police forces following days of violent protests.
The standoff occurred near the street where 18-year-old Michael Brown was fatally shot by a local police officer on August 9.