Violence in Milwaukee after cops kill suspect

MILWAUKEE: Protesters hurled bricks, fired gunshots and set a gas station on fire in the US city of Milwaukee on Saturday night hours after police shot and killed an armed suspect during a pursuit following a traffic stop.

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Milwaukee police said a uniformed officer shot and killed the 23-year-old man during a foot pursuit which took place after an afternoon traffic stop.

The suspect, who the department said had a lengthy arrest record, was armed with a stolen handgun. It did not say whether the man fired any shots during the incident.

A crowd later broke the windows of an unoccupied squad car and set another one on fire before setting a gas station on fire. Firefighters were initially unable to combat the blaze because of shots being fired in the area, police said.

One officer was hit in the head by a brick thrown through a squad car window. Protesters fired shots and hurled rocks as police attempted to disperse the crowd, which local media reported numbered more than 100.

An unspecified number of people were arrested.

The officer involved in the shooting has been placed on administrative duty during the investigation and subsequent review by the Milwaukee County district attorney’s office.

Protests in many US cities including Baton Rouge, , Ferguson, Missouri, New York and Oakland have broken out in recent years over police shootings of civilians.