Ferguson state of emergency extended

A state of emergency in the racial flash point city of Ferguson, Missouri was extended Thursday despite two nights of calm, officials said.

St. Louis County declared a state of emergency after peaceful protests marking the first anniversary of the police shooting of black teen Michael Brown devolved into violence and looting on Sunday night.

Tyrone Harris, 18, was shot by police after allegedly opening fire during the chaos.

Unrest broke out again Monday night as angry demonstrators threw stones and bottles at police.

While Ferguson was calm with no arrests reported on Tuesday and Wednesday, a county spokesman told AFP the state of emergency would be extended until at least Friday as a preventative measure.

Brown's death on August 9, 2014, led to weeks of sometimes violent unrest in Ferguson last year and sparked nationwide protests.

Outrage at the deaths of Brown and a series of others killed by police in disputed circumstances have fueled the Black Lives Matter movement and a national conversation about racism and police tactics. -AFP

(File photo: Getty Images)