The incident started when about 150 people gathered at the Brixton police station, which is a predominately black south London district. The people were protesting the death of a burglary suspect at the police station last week. According to officials, the 26-year-old suspect died from heart disease.
When the protesters started to move away from the police station and go up the street, the police moved in to obstruct their movement. In a statement issued by Scotland Yard, police said that they considered the protesters move away from in front of the police station "irresponsible" because of the traffic in the area.
Several hundred Metropolitan police in riot gear and on horses moved against small groups of the rioters. The rioters responded by throwing rocks and bottles at officers, setting a small grocery store and a carpet store on fire, overturning and burning automobiles, smashing store windows and looting.
The atmosphere in Brixton is still described as tense by police, and they remain on alert for further problems. A spokesperson said that the man's death remains under investigation and that any additional findings will be made public at an appropriate time.