The activist group Organization of Black Struggle defended the actions of Tyrone Harris — the man who opened fire upon and was then shot by police officers in Ferguson, Mo. on Sunday night — by shifting the initial blame back upon the police department.

“It was a poor decision to use plain clothes officers in a protest setting,” Kayla Reid, a field organizer for the group, said on Monday. “It made it difficult for people to identify police officers, which is essential to the safety of community members.”

Harris was shot shortly after peaceful protests marking the one-year anniversary of Michael Brown’s death turned violent on Sunday. (RELATED: Shootout At Ferguson Protest Leaves Four Injured)

During the ensuing chaos, Harris approached an unmarked police van and opened fire on the vehicle. Officers got out, opened fire and chased after the fleeing Harris. He would eventually turn and fire a second salvo of shots at the officers, at which point he was shot several times.

[h/t: Yahoo]

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