ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — As violence erupted in Ferguson, Missouri, after a grand jury decided not to indict Officer Darren Wilson for the killing of Michael Brown, some Florida residents thought back to 18 years ago when the same issue played out on Florida's west coast.
Channel 9's Martie Salt and Steve Barrett were both there in 1996 when a grand jury's decision resulted in violence and flames after a police shooting in St. Petersburg.
Residents of St. Petersburg unleashed their fury over the shooting of an unarmed black teenager in a car that was reported stolen.
Flashback: 1996 riots in St. Petersburg
Photos: 1996 St. Petersburg riots
The gunfire came from James Knight, a white police officer.
In the St. Petersburg case, the grand jury determined the shooting was justified because 18-year-old Tyron Lewis was driving a car right at a police officer, who ended up on the hood of that car.
Residents unhappy with the decision took to the streets, burning, looting and rioting.
"We're tired of this, what's happening out here to our brothers," said one resident.
The police response back then was similar to the response in Ferguson, with officers in riot gear, and furious residents throwing rocks and bottles.
About 25 square-blocks were left unprotected as police moved out of the neighborhood and could only watch the torching of buildings, police cars and news vans that had been left behind.
Eight officers were injured, one of them shot. Three firefighters and four journalists were also hurt. The rioting began the day of the shooting and continued again weeks later when the grand jury's decision came down.