On Thursday, Sept. 14, the National Guard was called to St. Louis in wake of the announcement of the Stockley case verdict. On Friday, the ex-officer, Jason Stockley, was acquitted. The decision sparked unrest in the populace, and they moved to the streets of the city to voice their oppositions.

The protest began as peaceful, but eventually became violent. Windows were shattered, some were injured, and arrests were made. The protest continued on to the next day, and are suspected to carry on for a third.

So what is it about the verdict that sparks such unrest?

The events that transpired on Dec. 20, 2011 are murky at best, and there are few hard facts to base an opinion on.

In 2011, Stockley and his partner, Bianchi, saw the victim, Anthony Smith, have a hand-to-hand transaction, of which they assumed to be a drug deal. They chased Smith through wet city streets until the car crashed. Stockley proceeded to Smith’s car, ordering him to open the door.

Stockley says Smith reached for a gun, and shot him four to five times in self defense. However, some say the weapon was planted, as it did not have any of Smith’s DNA on it. This detail is a main component for the uprising in St. Louis.

As long as there are accusations of police getting away with killing unarmed civilians, there will be unrest with the people.