A state senator and other Black leaders on Thursday called for the Justice Department to investigate the fatal shooting of a Black 18-year-old by a White St. Louis police officer, an incident that some protesters are likening to the death of Michael Brown in nearby Ferguson.

St. Louis Police Chief Sam Dotson said the 18-year-old, identified by his mother and police as Vonderrit D. Myers, shot at the off-duty officer Wednesday night and the officer returned fire. The shooting led to an angry protest. Syreeta Myers told The Associated Press by phone Thursday that her son wasn’t armed, as police contend. She said he was holding a sandwich when he was killed, not a gun.

“Police lie. They lied about Michael Brown, too,” she said.