A decision to acquit of murdering a black man former St. Louis police officer Jason Stockey triggered protests which resulted in two police officers hospitalized with injuries sustained from thrown bricks.

Axar.az reports citing Sputnik that, hundreds of people poured into St. Louis streets on Friday following the controversial not-guilty verdict in a racially charged police shooting case.

Earlier on Friday St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department (SLMPD) reported that the demonstrations have been mostly peaceful with the exception of some tense moments when some protesters become destructive throwing water bottles and rocks. National Guard troops were placed on standby. A total of 13 arrests have been made during the protests and 4 officers were assaulted, police added.

Most protestors started to drift away when a smaller group of agitators headed to the neighborhood near St. Louis mayor's house and the crowd began to grow again. After the protesters had smashed the window at Mayor Lyda Krewson's home police had to respond with force using tear gas to disperse the crowd.

Later media reported that two policemen were seriously injured and taken to hospital

"A total of 8 officers have sustained injuries throughout the day," the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department tweeted.

Hundreds of people were protesting in St. Louis after a judge found former St. Louis police officer Jason Stockey not guilty in shooting 24-year-old Anthony Lamar Smith, a black man, five times following a high-speed chase. He was charged with first-degree murder.

Prosecutors accuse Stockey of planting a gun on Smith to justify the shooting according to evidence.