Police walk through a cloud of smoke as they clash with protesters Wednesday in Ferguson, Mo. Protests in the St. Louis suburb rocked by racial unrest since a white police officer shot an unarmed black teenager to death turned violent Wednesday night, with some people lobbing molotov cocktails at police who responded with smoke bombs and tear gas to disperse the crowd.

A protester takes shelter from smoke billowing around him Wednesday in Ferguson, Mo. Protests in the St. Louis suburb rocked by racial unrest since a white police officer shot an unarmed black teenager to death turned violent Wednesday night, with some people lobbing Molotov cocktails and other objects at police who responded with smoke bombs and tear gas to disperse the crowd.

Protesters try unsuccessfully to light a Molotov cocktail Wednesday in Ferguson, Mo.

A protester holds up a sign as a police helicopter circles overhead Wednesday.

Buttons that state "Justice for Michael Brown" are piled together in a box in Ferguson, Mo.

A protester kicks a smoke grenade deployed by police back in the direction of police wednesday in Ferguson, Mo.

Terrell Williams El hugs his daughter Sharell, 9, while standing with his wife, Shamika Williams, and daughters Tamika, 6, and Sharell, 2, on Wednesday in Ferguson, Mo. They were overcome with emotion after Williams El confronted police. "I'm out here to stand for my children and their future," said Williams El.