16 arrested in protest at suburban St. Louis police station

FLORISSANT, Mo. (AP) — More than a dozen people were arrested at a protest outside a suburban St. Louis police station Saturday night after officers pushed protesters back away from the station.

Police said 16 people were arrested on charges of disturbing the peace, unlawful assembly and failure to disperse after the confrontation outside the Florissant Police station. Police said some protesters threw frozen water bottles, glass bottles, batteries and rocks at officers. Authorities said officers used pepper spray and fired one bean bag round after a person assaulted an officer.

The police department said in a statement Sunday that peaceful protests have been allowed outside the police station for several weeks, but protesters have become “more aggressive and confrontational.”

Tensions have remained high in Florissant since video was released showing a black suspect being struck by a white detective’s SUV.

The driver of the SUV, Detective Joshua Smith of the Florissant Police Department, was fired after the violent June 2 arrest, and he has been charged with felony assault, felony armed criminal action and misdemeanor assault.

Video from two home security systems showed Smith’s SUV striking the suspect, then Smith chasing and attacking the screaming man. Smith’s attorney has claimed it was an accident.