BP station targeted in Milwaukee riots had a strained relationship with the neighbourhood

A police shooting in Milwaukee has sparked huge riots causing damage to number of businesses, including a BP fuel station which had a strained relationship with the local community,

The anger over Saturday's officer-involved shooting of Sylville Smith a 23-year-old black male, quickly turned into looting, fires and violence. And as Mayor Tom Barrett noted, many of the perpetrators were young people alerted to the gathering via social media.Two businesses, including the BP station, took the brunt of the destruction.

Demonstrations took place in July at the BP station at Sherman and Burleigh over a gas station clerk who fired a weapon into the air with children outside.

That gas station clerk, who is the owner's son, was charged with disorderly conduct, use of a dangerous weapon.

The owner of the gas station told local news that his son felt threatened when a group of young teens surrounded the gas station trying to get in. That is when he stepped outside and fired his weapon into the air.

An eyewitness to Saturday's riots said that the protestors turned their attention to the BP with individuals trying to break through the bulletproof window whilst three employees were locked inside. They eventually set fire to the business.

None of the employees were hurt in the incident.