City of Ferguson Declares State of Emergency Following Violent Michael Brown Protests

The city of Ferguson, Missouri declared a state of emergency on Monday following a violent incident on Sunday that took place on the one-year-anniversary of the shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown.

The state of emergency was declared Sunday after 18-year-old Tyrone Harris reportedly opened fire on police officers, who exchanged fire, critically wounding the suspect and forcing him to undergo surgery in a nearby hospital.

Harris has since been charged with multiple counts of criminal actions and assaulting law enforcement, as well as one count of shooting at a motor vehicle. His bond has been set at $250,000.

The incident involving Harris and police officers has reportedly resulted in other violent incidences that includes drive-by shootings and the jumping of police barricades, causing Ferguson County Executive Steve Stenger to enact a state of emergency in the city.

"The recent acts of violence will not be tolerated in a community that has worked so tirelessly over the last year to rebuild and become stronger," Stenger said in a statement.

"In light of last night's violence and unrest in the City of Ferguson, and the potential for harm to persons and property, I am exercising my authority as county executive to issue a state of emergency, effective immediately," Stenger added.

Protesters have gathered in the streets for the one-year anniversary of the shooting incident that left 18-year-old Michael Brown dead.

U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch condemned the violence in a speech Monday morning, saying that she "strongly [condemns] the violence against the community, including police officers, in Ferguson."

"As we have seen over the recent months and years, not only does violence obscure any message of peaceful protest, it places the community, as well as the officers who seek to protect it, in harm's way," Lynch added.