14 arrests after protesters turn on St. Pete officers

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Police say 14 people were arrested after protesters turned on law enforcement outside St. Petersburg police headquarters late Sunday night. 

The department says the violence came after 11 hours of peaceful marches and protests throughout downtown St. Pete on Sunday.

Authorities say there were around 200 protesters outside of police headquarters around 11 p.m. Sunday night. At some point, people in the group became violent toward law enforcement on the scene.

Police say someone tore the water meters covers off and threw them at officers, followed by rocks and bottles. Several officers were hit and a patrol car window was smashed. 

St. Petersburg police say they, along with Pinellas County sheriff's deputies and members of the Pinellas Park police department, responded to the violence by deploying smoke and told the crowd to leave. The department says no tear gas was used.

People who refused to leave were taken into custody. St. Petersburg police say 14 people were arrested for unlawful assembly. One officer was hurt and suffered minor injuries.