Man accused in assault that critically wounded Ferguson officer now faces more charges

The man accused in an assault that left a Ferguson, Missouri, police officer fighting for his life is facing several additional charges after a grand jury indictment.

Officer Travis Brown, 36, was critically injured while trying to make arrests during a protest on Aug. 9, the 10th anniversary of Michael Brown’s death in the St. Louis suburb. The man accused in the attack, 28-year-old Elijah Gantt of East St. Louis, Illinois, was initially charged with three counts of fourth-degree assault on a special victim, resisting arrest, first-degree assault and property damage.

After the grand jury indictment last week, Gantt faces three additional counts of fourth-degree assault on a special victim, rioting, attempting to tamper with physical evidence and escape or attempted escape. A message was left Thursday with his attorney, Scott Rosenblum.

Brown underwent several surgeries to address swelling and fluid on his brain, and remains hospitalized. The most recent update on his health was Sept. 3 in a posting on a GoFundMe site. It said Brown had battled pneumonia and his lungs were a primary concern.

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As of Thursday morning, more than $160,000 had been donated through the GoFundMe site.

Hundreds of people gathered in Ferguson on Aug. 9 to remember Michael Brown. As midnight approached, only a few dozen demonstrators remained, and some of them began shaking and damaging a fence outside the police station, prompting Travis Brown and other officers to begin making arrests.

Police released body camera and surveillance video that appeared to show Gantt charging Brown on a sidewalk and knocking him backward. The video shows Brown landing hard, his head striking the pavement. Both Brown and Gantt are Black.

Ferguson became synonymous with the national Black Lives Matter movement after Michael Brown, a Black 18-year-old, was killed by Officer Darren Wilson Aug. 9, 2014. Travis Brown is not related to Michael Brown.

Three separate investigations found no grounds to prosecute Wilson, who resigned in November 2014. But Michael Brown’s death led to months of often violent protests. It also spurred a U.S. Department of Justice investigation that required anti-discrimination changes to Ferguson policing and the courts.