ST. LOUIS (AP) - Two St. Louis police officers shot and killed a 19-year-old man who emerged from a stolen car holding a submachine gun capable of shooting nearly three dozen rounds of ammunition, the city's police chief said Thursday.
The shooting Wednesday night was the fourth fatal shooting of a crime suspect by St. Louis-area officers since 18-year-old Michael Brown was killed by Ferguson officer Darren Wilson on Aug. 9. The suspect, like Brown and the other three, was black.
The latest shooting happened in a crime-ridden area of north St. Louis. Police on Thursday identified the dead suspect as Isaac Holmes of St. Louis.
Holmes was shot by two officers, a 29-year-old black officer and a 35-year-old white officer, police said. Their names were not released. An internal investigation is underway.
A few people gathered at the shooting site to protest about an hour after the shooting, chanting "No justice, no peace," the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. Massive protests, some violent, followed the shooting of Brown, and the Nov. 24 announcement that Wilson would face no criminal charges. The other shootings also sparked protests.
Dotson said officers were performing "hot spot" policing in a north St. Louis neighborhood due to increasing gun violence in that area, when they saw a red Chevrolet Monte Carlo reported stolen Dec. 5 in St. Louis. The car sped away and officers gave chase.
The car turned down an alley and crashed into a wall, causing its engine to fail, Dotson said. As the two officers approached the vehicle, the passenger got out with a gun, the chief said.
"They order the suspect to drop the gun," Dotson said of the officers. "He does not. Both officers fire shots at the suspect."
It wasn't clear how many shots were fired at Holmes, who was taken to a hospital. He died a short time later.
Dotson said Holmes was holding a gun called an Intratec 9mm when he emerged from the car.
"It's capable of firing 30 bullets at somebody in a very short period of time," Dotson said. "Very dangerous."
The car's driver, also 19, cooperated with officers and was taken into custody, police said.
Kajieme Powell, 25, was killed Aug. 19 after approaching St. Louis officers with a knife. Vonderrit Myers, 18, was fatally shot on Oct. 8 after allegedly shooting at a St. Louis officer. And Antonio Martin, 18, was fatally shot by a Berkeley officer on Dec. 23. Surveillance video appeared to show Martin pulling a gun on an officer who was about to question him about a convenience store theft.