Images Of Ferguson Police In Riot Gear Confronting An Unarmed Man Go Viral

Images of Ferguson, Mo., police in combat gear with guns drawn, walking toward a black man protesting the shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown, are getting a lot of attention.

By
Ellie Hall
by Ellie Hall

BuzzFeed News Reporter

Images of police confronting an unarmed black man protesting the fatal shooting of Michael Brown have been going viral.

Whitney Curtis / The New York Times / Redux

Demonstrations have been taking place in Ferguson since Saturday, when a police officer fatally shot 18-year-old Brown, who was unarmed at the time. Police claim that the teen hit the officer who shot him. That account has been disputed by friends and family.

The picture shows a black man being surrounded by police in combat gear.

AP Photo/Jeff Roberson

Another angle of the scene reveals graffiti on a nearby mailbox.

Scott Olson / Getty Images

Police have denied requests to name the officer who shot Brown, citing safety concerns.

In June, The New York Times the military's surplus combat gear being added to local police departments.