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NBC4 screen grab of protesters on 110 freeway downtown.
Small groups of protesters reacted to the Missouri grand jury decision Monday night by walking the streets in Leimert Park, South LA, downtown, the Miracle Mile, Beverly Hills and Westwood. There was no real trouble reported as of 11:30 p.m., just some blocked traffic as protesters laid down in intersections and brief closures of the 10 freeway at La Brea and the 110 freeway by the Convention Center downtown. The latter incident got away from the police for awhile, but after about 10 or 15 minutes officers moved onto the freeway en masse and began clearing the lanes. There was some throwing of objects before and after the protesters swarmed the freeway. For the most part, the marches — several of which originated in Leimert Park — were peaceful and not especially disruptive. Beverly Hills police observed as a small group of protesters laid down in several intersections along Wilshire Boulevard.
The protests formed after the news from Missouri that a grand jury had declined to indict over the shooting death in Ferguson of unarmed suspect Michael Brown. In the grand jury transcripts that were released, Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson testified that Brown, 18, rushed him and began striking the officer as he sat in his patrol car.
* Morning update: Two people were arrested during the LA protests, and the traffic disruption on the 110 freeway continued for more than hour. A 9 a.m. news conference is planned by LAPD Chief Charlie Beck, Police Commission president Steve Soboroff and City Council president Herb Wesson, the acting mayor with Mayor Eric Garcetti in Asia.
