SAN FRANCISCO, Kalifornia - January 9, 2009 - Angry protests turned to rioting Wednesday night in response to the January 1st shooting of an unarmed man at a subway station in California's Bay Area. Police made over 100 arrests, after cars were vandalized, store windows were smashed, and fires blazed out of control on the streets.

Oscar Grant, 22, who was killed by a single gunshot to the back, after being pulled from a train along with some friends amid reports of an altercation on Monday, January 5. Johannes Mehserle has been identified as the officer who fired the fatal shot, and has resigned amid alleged death threats.

The attorney for the family of Grant, John Burris, said the timing of the officer's resignation didn't surprise him.

"He doesn't want to give a statement because BART could've ordered him to do so, and if he didn't, he could be terminated."

Wednesday night, the streets turned into West Beirut after protesters left the station area.

NBC’s Bay Area News reports, "The protest Wednesday began peacefully at the Fruitvale Bay Area Rapid Transit station, but forced the closure of that station from about 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. before protesters moved through the city. At one point, reporter George Kiriyama was hit in the arm by a tear gas can. He explained live on television, 'I've been hit. I've been hit.' Kiriyama suffered a bruise to his arm."

One of the protest's organizers, Evan Shamar, blamed others for stirring things up.

"He said a group of anarchists, who were not part of the organizations hosting the rally, smashed a police vehicle before setting a garbage can on fire," the NBC affiliate reported.