Missouri State Highway Patrol Capt. Ron Johnson said that someone began throwing rocks and other objects, prompting police to deploy tear gas, but no arrests were made. Molotov cocktails hit a liquor store causing it to catch fire, HuffPost's Christine Conetta reported from the scene.

Police in riot gear were present, but never left the corner of Florissant Ave and Ferguson Ave., despite stores being looted just feet away. From midnight to 4:00 a.m., community members were left to self-police, Conetta observed, with several people trying to prevent looters from continuing to take items from stores.

All of a sudden, tempers flared again when a large group of protestors confronted officers in front of a liquor store pic.twitter.com/QBMiWdqYqU — Joel D. Anderson (@byjoelanderson) August 16, 2014

Someone threw a bottle at cops next to McDonalds now this. thu are back bottles being thrown pic.twitter.com/CLqBkmIFiM — Amy K. Nelson (@AmyKNelson) August 16, 2014

JUST IN: Tear gas fired at protesters in #Ferguson. Our photojournalist reports it was brief and seems to have calmed situation. — Rob Edwards (@RobertDEdwards) August 16, 2014

They are back ... "this is the police you are ordered to disperse immediately." people chanting "fuck the police" pic.twitter.com/6sVK4QEIyj — Amy K. Nelson (@AmyKNelson) August 16, 2014

Residents who were out here say it was tear gas deployed — Wesley Lowery (@WesleyLowery) August 16, 2014

shot while running from the tear gas and flash bombs #fergusonpic.twitter.com/ptWWQvBQ9b — Amy K. Nelson (@AmyKNelson) August 16, 2014

After deploying tear gas, police returned with armored cars and equipment suited for controlling crowds.

Police in riot gear with armored vehicle approaching corner #fergusonpic.twitter.com/xJr3gqehpc — Christine Conetta (@BmoreConetta) August 16, 2014

After the confrontation between protesters and police, looters began targeting several area businesses.

Ferguson liquor store where Michael Brown allegedly stole cigars is now being looted according to @timcast video pic.twitter.com/ISI55kQHj8 — Jon Passantino (@passantino) August 16, 2014

Someone just kicked out window if beauty supply store https://t.co/vczIcD3HWz — Wesley Lowery (@WesleyLowery) August 16, 2014

Wireless store being looted pic.twitter.com/fxJ6drrkox — Wesley Lowery (@WesleyLowery) August 16, 2014

#Ferguson Market & Liquor is, for lack of a better word, being looted. pic.twitter.com/SshAUjBXi5 — Joel D. Anderson (@byjoelanderson) August 16, 2014

Sam's Meat Market being looted — Wesley Lowery (@WesleyLowery) August 16, 2014

Snapped this from Marcus Dipaola's camera: looters taking huge saw pic.twitter.com/dpKxanqBJY — Christine Conetta (@BmoreConetta) August 16, 2014

But some protesters took positions to block the looters from ransacking the businesses.

Young people are trying to guard the Sam's Meat Market but move away, worried that armed looters might be returning with guns. — Matt Pearce 🦅 (@mattdpearce) August 16, 2014

Young man explaining why he is protecting store from looters https://t.co/Sj9M3BEIls — Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) August 16, 2014

Members of the community protecting the Ferguson Market https://t.co/2HdnooFwWC — Ryan J. Reilly (@ryanjreilly) August 16, 2014

These young men are guarding the Beauty Supply that was just broken into pic.twitter.com/Cg1WfOGZP9 — Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) August 16, 2014

With @antoniofrench and a crew who just went into liquor store and opened bottles of soda to put fire out. — Amy K. Nelson (@AmyKNelson) August 16, 2014

drove by another damaged business. So about 6 stores with damage that we can see. — Shimon Prokupecz (@ShimonPro) August 16, 2014

As a store burns, cars do wheelies in the street, people loot, others stop them & the city turns chaotic police say nothing & sit in trucks — Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) August 16, 2014

Several community members showed up Saturday morning to clean up the mess that looters left behind, KMOV reported, and business owners expressed their gratitude.

Just amazing how so many community members woke up so early to help clean up #fergusonpic.twitter.com/rYguI6zJEe — Shimon Prokupecz (@ShimonPro) August 16, 2014

The liquor store seemed to have experienced the most damage, and most of the liquor had been stolen, according to KMOV.

Michael Brown was shot on Aug. 9 after he and a friend were walking in the street and encountered a police officer. Brown's friend who was with him that night, Dorian Johnson, said that the officer attacked Brown, then shot at the 18-year-old as he was trying to get away. Ferguson Police claim that Brown attacked the officer, and said Wednesday that the officer involved in the altercation was injured. Multiple witnesses have said that they saw Brown with his hands up in the air when he was shot.