FERGUSON, Missouri, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Shots were fired and police shouted through bullhorns for protesters to disperse, witnesses said, as chaos erupted Sunday night in Ferguson, Missouri, which has been racked by protests since an unarmed black teenager was shot by police last week.
Hundreds of protesters fled to safety after authorities fired canisters of smoke to disperse them hours ahead of a planned midnight curfew.
The crowd of about 400 appeared to be marching peacefully but a spokesman for the Missouri Highway Patrol said "aggressors" had advanced on a law enforcement command post. (Reporting by Ellen Wulfhorst; Writing by Sharon Bernstein; Editing by Paul Tait)
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
