The Latest on Ferguson: Members of far-right militia group Oath Keepers appear at protest

FERGUSON, Mo. – The latest in the events surrounding the anniversary of the death of 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri (all times local):

11 p.m.

Members of an armed militia group have returned to protests in Ferguson.

Several members of the Oath Keepers, a far-right anti-government activist group largely made up of past and present military personnel, first responders and law enforcement personnel, showed up along West Florissant Avenue late Tuesday. They also appeared at the protest there a night earlier.

St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar earlier Tuesday said that presence of the Oath Keepers, who wore bulletproof vests and openly carried rifles and pistols on Monday, was “both unnecessary and inflammatory.”

On Tuesday night, none appeared to have long rifles.

Oath Keepers appeared in Ferguson in November saying they were protecting businesses from rioting and looters.

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9 p.m.

More than 100 protesters have gathered along West Florissant Avenue in Ferguson.

The crowd Tuesday night was smaller than the night before, when hundreds assembled in the same spot.

Those gathered Tuesday mostly mingled quietly along the side of the road. Some chanted, and a few held signs.

Police officers, most wearing riot gear, appeared to outnumber protesters.

The first sign of any tension came after a couple dozen people walked into the road. Officers including St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar escorted them back to the shoulder.

The region has seen demonstrations for days marking the anniversary of the death of 18-year-old Michael Brown, whose shooting death by a Ferguson police officer sparked a national “Black Lives Matter” movement. Brown was fatally shot Aug. 9, 2014.

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4:45 p.m.

St. Louis County police have released surveillance video footage they say shows Tyrone Harris Jr., the 18-year-old black suspect who was critically wounded after being shot by police Sunday night in Ferguson, minutes before he fired a gun at plainclothes officers.

Harris was shot late Sunday after allegedly opening fire on an unmarked police van.

Police say a 13-second clip of security camera footage from a West Florissant Avenue insurance office that they released Tuesday afternoon shows him grabbing a handgun from his waistband in response to shots being fired during the Ferguson protests.

Harris was in critical condition Monday at a St. Louis hospital. County police and Barnes-Jewish Hospital were unable to provide updates on his condition Tuesday.

Harris’ father disputed the police account Monday but declined to discuss his son’s shooting Tuesday. Tyrone Harris Jr. has been charged with 10 felonies — five counts of armed criminal action, four counts of first-degree assault on a law enforcement officer and a firearms charge.

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11 a.m.

Members of an armed militia group patrolling the streets of Ferguson have drawn criticism from the county police chief overseeing security in the St. Louis suburb.

St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar said Tuesday that the overnight presence of the Oath Keepers, wearing bulletproof vests and openly carrying rifles and pistols on West Florissant Avenue was “both unnecessary and inflammatory.”

The street has been the focus of demonstrations marking the anniversary of the shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Brown.

The far-right anti-government activist group largely comprises past and present military personnel, first responders and law enforcement personnel. Oath Keepers appeared in Ferguson in November saying they were protecting businesses from rioting and looters.

The Associated Press left a message with John Karriman, a representative of the group in Missouri.

Belmar plans to ask county prosecutor Bob McCulloch about the legality of the group’s armed patrols.

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2:30 a.m.

A St. Louis County Police spokesman says about two dozen people were arrested during a protest along West Florissant Avenue in Ferguson.

Officer Shawn McGuire said early Tuesday that approximately 23 arrests were made, although police were still confirming official totals.

Hundreds of people gathered along West Florissant, the thoroughfare that was the site of massive protests and rioting after 18-year-old Michael Brown was fatally shot last year in a confrontation with a Ferguson police officer.

The crowd marched, chanted and at times confronted police.

McGuire says several bottles, frozen water bottles and rocks were thrown at officers throughout the night. He says no one was injured.

Protests also spilled outside of Ferguson earlier Monday. Almost 60 people were arrested around midday for blocking the entrance to the federal courthouse in downtown St. Louis. Another group later briefly blocked Interstate 70 during the late afternoon rush hour. McGuire says about 64 arrests were made then.

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