At This Point, Ferguson Is a City Under Siege

The standoff between police and protesters in Ferguson, Missouri, over the police shooting of Michael Brown turned violent last night. A St. Louis County Police officer shot and critically wounded a man in the area where protesters have assembled since Saturday. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the man is said to have pulled a handgun on the officer, and police recovered the weapon at the scene. Another woman was shot in a conflict that may or may not be related to the protests; she is expected to survive.

Media outlets have used the word "riot" dozens of times, even hundreds of times, to describe the crisis in Ferguson. Yet despite last night's violence, three days after the death of the unarmed 18-year-old resident, Ferguson does not yet resemble the notable riots from the 1960s to the present day. Rather, it is starting to look like an occupation.