A memorial honoring slain teenager, Michael Brown was burned early on Tuesday morning, according to fire officials in Ferguson, MO.
The Ferguson Fire Department received a call around 6:45 a.m. about a fire on Canfield Drive. When firefighters arrived, they found the memorial residents had erected in Brown’s honor in flames, which they extinguished. For more than a month people had lit candles, laid cards and balloons and tied balloons to the memorial.
The memorial was one of two at the scene of the Aug. 9 shooting, this one erected around a telephone pole, the other in the center of Canfield Drive where Brown fell after being shot about a half-dozen times by Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson.
Police say Wilson shot Brown after the teen reached for the officer’s gun. Witnesses say Wilson shot at Brown as he tried to run away and fired the fatal gunshots as Brown turned with his hands up in surrender.
Fire officials told NBC News on Tuesday that they were not sure what caused the fire, but that there was evidence that candles were part of the memorial.
Witnesses have speculated that the fire was intentionally and that police, who initially responded to the fire, did little to put out the flames.
Several hours after the fire was extinguished, Ferguson Police Chief Tom Jackson issued a statement in which he said police did everything they could to put out the fire before the fire department arrived on the scene.
“We’re all saddened by the fire that was reported at one of the Michael Brown memorials this morning and are trying to obtain as much information as possible to determine what happened,” Jackson said. “To anyone who believes we didn’t do everything in our power to put this fire out I want to apologize and let you know that was not the case.”
Fire officials said they are still investigating the cause.
By early Tuesday residents, local media and supporters of Brown began posting images showing the burning memorial and its remains to social media.
So Angry. Somebody set the Mike Brown memorial on fire in the middle of the night. pic.twitter.com/9M7C9uzl4o
— Shaun King (@ShaunKing) September 23, 2014
Cops just watch as Michael Brown memorial is burned.
via We Cop Watch. pic.twitter.com/En7cTbcAvc
— Lorie Meacham (@LorieMeacham) September 23, 2014
Michael Brown memorial destroyed by fire –> http://t.co/Sj9xxzOaKB pic.twitter.com/sMAUV6tLF3
— KMOV (@KMOV) September 23, 2014
