'Our family didn't ask for this': Relatives of unarmed black teen shot dead by police condemn St Louis riot claiming violence is 'not what Mike would want'

Michael Brown, 18, was shot dead in street by police officers near St Louis

Vigil was held in honor of the teen but quickly descended into chaos



Angry crowds then gathered at police headquarters to protest his death



Started chanting 'we want answers' and 'no justice, no peace'



Looters among the thousands of protestors smashed store front windows

They also pilfered goods as others smashed windows of parked cars

At least 32 people were arrested



Police explained that victim was killed after getting into an altercation



Witnesses say Brown was unarmed with his hands in the air when shot



The family of an unarmed Missouri 18-year-old who was shot dead by police this weekend have condemned a frightening riot that erupted in St Louis last night claiming the violence was not what the teen would have wanted.

In a statement to Fox News last night, a cousin of victim Mike Brown said the looting, which followed a peaceful vigil for the teen, was 'very upsetting' to their family.



'I just want everyone to know and understand that the stealing and breaking in stores is not what Mike will want, it is very upsetting to me and my family,' the statement read.



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Shell: The burned-out shell of the QuikTrip gas station torched during the violence that erupted in Ferguson, is seen Monday

Cleanup: A man begins clean up after a riot Sunday night caused damage to his shop

Lashing out: A man covers his face as he leaves a convenience store in Ferguson, St Louis, which was looted after a candlelit vigil for 18-year-old Michael Brown, who was shot and killed by a police officer, descended into chaos

Chaos reigns: People were seen carrying bags of food and toilet paper. TV footage also showed streams of people walking out of a liquor store carrying bottles of alcohol, and in some cases protesters were standing on top of police cars taunting officers who stood stoic, often in riot gear



Police officers patrol the area Sunday, with dogs, after the vigil for the unarmed teen gunned down by an officer Saturday became an angry mob

'Our family didn't ask for this but for Justice and Peace... Please let my family grieve in Peace in (sic) stop the violence in the street, we don't want this happening when we protest for justice for my cousin Mike Brown, please get this message out to the people that the Mike Brown's family do not want this.'



Speaking to Fox News off camera, Brown's mother, Leslie McSpadden, said she was 'furious' by what has unfolded.



She told the TV station that the violence was 'disrespecting the memory of her son' and was not helping her cause, which is to seek justice for her son and peace for her family.



The devastated mother, who is still in shock after losing her don, added that she was even scared to go home last night because of the chaos in the streets.



People smashed car windows and looted armloads of goods from stores after the vigil for the unarmed black teen who was shot and killed by a police officer on Saturday.

Devastated: Lesley McSpadden, pictured left on Sunday, said she did not condone the looting that took place after a vigil for her son

'Shot 8 times': The 18-year-old was killed during an altercation with police on Saturday. He was unarmed and according to his mother was shot eight times

The candlelight gathering was held in Ferguson, St Louis for Brown, who police said was shot multiple times after a scuffle involving an officer, Brown and another person in the predominantly black suburb of the city.



After the vigil, which attracted thousands, some people looted a convenience store, while several other stores along a main road near the shooting scene were broken into and looted, including a check-cashing store, a boutique and a small grocery store.

People were seen carrying bags of food and toilet paper and TV footage showed streams of people walking out of a liquor store carrying bottles of alcohol.



In some cases protesters were also standing on top police cars and taunting officers who stood stoic, often in riot gear.

Other witnesses reported seeing people vandalize police cars and kick in windows.



Television footage showed windows busted out of a TV station van.



'Right now, the small group of people are creating a huge mess,' Ferguson's mayor, James Knowles, told St. Louis KTVI-TV. 'Contributing to the unrest that is going on is not going to help. ... We're only hurting ourselves, only hurting our community, hurting our neighbors. There's nothing productive from this.'



As the investigation of Brown's death progresses, 'we understand people want to vent their frustrations. We understand they want to speak out,' Knowles added. 'We're going to obviously try to urge calm.'

St Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley said there were no reports of injuries but confirmed widespread property damage.



'Right now I'm just worried about people, not property,' he said.

At least 32 people had been arrested by the time the looting stopped, according to Fox News.



Earlier in the day, hundreds of protesters had gathered outside Ferguson Police headquarters.

Trouble brewing: A QuikTrip station appeared to bear the brunt of the group's hostilities Sunday evening as trouble broke out around 8:30

'Right now, the small group of people are creating a huge mess,' Ferguson's mayor, James Knowles, told St. Louis KTVI-TV

'Contributing to the unrest that is going on is not going to help. ... We're only hurting ourselves, only hurting our community, hurting our neighbors. There's nothing productive from this,' Mayor Knowles said

At one point, many of them marched into an adjacent police building, some chanting 'Don't shoot me' while holding their hands in the air.

Officers stood at the top of a staircase, but didn't use force and the crowd eventually left.



County Police Chief Jon Belmar said the shooting of Brown occurred after an officer encountered two people on the street near an apartment complex in Ferguson.

Mr Belmar said one of the men pushed the officer back into his squad car and a struggle began.



He added at least one shot was fired from the officer's gun inside the police car.



Ferguson Police Chief Tom Jackson said authorities were still establishing what happened inside the police car. It was not clear if Brown was the man who struggled with the officer.

The struggle spilled out into the street, where Brown was shot multiple times.



He also said all shell casings found at the scene matched the officer's gun. Police are still investigating why the officer shot Brown, who police have confirmed was unarmed.



Mr Jackson said the second person has not been arrested or charged, although authorities aren't sure if that person was unarmed.

Photos of the chaos quickly turned up on social media, like these shots of a man smashing the glass of what appears to be a bus stop



St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley said there were no reports of injuries but confirmed widespread property damage. 'Right now I'm just worried about people, not property,' he said

Taking to the streets: The chaos broke out after what was largely a peaceful vigil in the name of the slain teen

Mr Jackson told KSDK-TV there's no apparent video footage of the shooting from a nearby apartment complex, or from any police cruiser dashboard cameras or body-worn cameras that the department recently bought but hasn't yet put in use.



He added blood samples have been taken from Brown and the officer who shot him, with those toxicology tests expected to take weeks to complete.



Brown's mother, Lesley McSpadden, said her son had graduated from high school and was about to enter a local college.



She said she doesn't understand why police didn't subdue him with a club or Taser, and believes the officer involved should be fired and prosecuted.

Burn it down: Several car windows were smashed and stores were looted as people carried away armloads of goods. Video posted online by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch showed a convenience store on fire

Flames: Flames engulfed the convenience store after the looting

Riot: The vigil descended into chaos Sunday night, ending in a furious blaze at a QT in Ferguson

Before the storm: A large crowd gathers at the candlelight vigil Sunday evening in Ferguson before chaos took over

As more people attended the vigil, people became increasingly angry and started banging on the side of this police car as it made its way down the street

Protestors blocking Florissant Road raise their hands after being approached by police officers who asked them to stop blocking the street in front of the Ferguson police department on Sunday

Police officers try to move on protestors, who gathered outside Ferguson police station on Sunday

The crowds then began to block the road preventing other traffic from passing through the street 'I would like to see him go to jail with the death penalty,' she said, fighting back tears.

The killing drew criticism from some civil rights leaders, who referred to the 2012 racially charged shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin by a Florida neighborhood watch organizer who was acquitted of murder charges. McSpadden has hired Benjamin Crump, the attorney who represented family of slain Florida teen Trayvon Martin, to represent her family.

Crump was expected to hold a press conference on the matter Monday morning.

Protestors raised their hands shouting we want answers' and 'no justice, no peace' during the rally Activist Anthony Shahid urges the protestors to raise up their hands as they gathered outside the police station Martha Hightower, Leah Clyburn and Marie Wilson stand in prayer at the vigil for Michael Brown

Devastated: Meghan O'Donnell, 29, from St. Louis, prays at the spot where Michael Brown was killed Sunday evening Meanwhile, civil rights campaigners have raised their concerns with Brown's death.

John Gaskin, who serves on both the St Louis County and national boards of directors for the NAACP said: 'We're outraged yet again a young African-American man has been killed by law enforcement.'

The Reverend Al Sharpton also called the shooting 'very disturbing' and said he planned to go to Ferguson to meet with the family.

St. Louis County Police Department is in charge of the investigation, and county executive Dooley said he will request an FBI investigation.

The U.S. Justice Department said Attorney General Eric Holder had also instructed staff to monitor developments.

Rallying: About 200 people showed up for an impromptu rally in front of police headquarters on Sunday, following Brown's death