St. Louis Police Chief Sam Dotson says he was so concerned by the way police handled rioting and unrest in nearby Ferguson that he's no longer sending his city's officers to assist.

Dotson told The Associated Press on Thursday that a 24-officer tactical unit and the city's lone armored vehicle were sent to the St. Louis suburb on Sunday and Monday.

Protests, including a night of looting, erupted after a Ferguson police officer fatally shot 18-year-old Michael Brown on Saturday. Brown was unarmed.

Dotson says he was concerned by how protesters were treated, and for his officers' safety. He decided Tuesday to no longer send officers to the protest area.

Dotson says he isn't being critical, but he would have handled the situation differently.

Several communities are helping local police.