TAMPA, Fla. -- Hundreds of Negroes fought police with guns and rocks and burned and looted stores in downtown Tampa early today in a savage protest to the slaying of a Negro youth by police.
One officer died of a heart attack in the violence. At least 14 persons were injured, most not seriously by the time calm returned to the area before daybreak.
Gov. Claude Kirk flew in for a two-hour conference with Mayor Nick Nuccio and other city officials. He flew back to Tallahassee as dawn was breaking and said only that he was "disturbed by the events of the night."
Fires lighted the skyland and heavy smoke billowed over the city. Sheriff Malcolm Bread announced the 12-block riot area would remain sealed off and said "any persons congregating in this area in groups of three or more will be asked one time and one time only to disperse and if they don't comply, they would be arrested."
In addition to the violence in the six-by-six-block zone in the Central Park area, Beard said minor violence broke out in heavily Negro West Tampa.
The rioting in Tampa was more widespread and severe than the outbreak of violence in Prattville, Ala., that followed the arrest there of black power advocate Stokely Carmichael. But Gov. Lurleen Wallace sent in 150 National Guardsmen to put down the violence in a small Negro sector of the town. Authorities said three policemen were slightly wounded in the fighting, which subsided before dawn.
Robert Guilder, president of the Tampa NAACP, said after the meeting with Kirk that "inadequate education, poverty, disease, disrespect for the law" were the underlying cause of the violence.
The Negroes were arrested on charges ranging from breaking and entering to possession of stolen property. Two of the injured were Negroes.
Snipers, apparently well armed in the looting of a gun store, fired on officers from the shadows of a cordoned-off Negro district int he Central Park section. Police with dogs moved in to seek them out.
The violence erupted Sunday after police fatally shot a 19-year-old Negro, Martin Chambers, who was being chased near the scene of a burglary. Chambers was shot during a struggle with an officer.
A crowd of Negroes formed, but a rainstorm drove them to cover. After the rain, however, the Negroes gathered again and began throwing bricks, rocks and bottles at officers. Then they started looting stores.
A number of buildings were set afire. Firemen and all available policemen were pressed into service.
Officers sealed off an area about five blocks long and two blocks wide.
A deputy sheriff, Sgt. Don Williams, collapsed and was rushed to a hospital. He later died of what doctors said was an apparent heart attack.
Hospital authorities said a number of persons were treated for injuries.
The fires were brought under control by early morning. Destroyed were two groceries, a dry cleaner firm, a pool hall and a bar. A separate fire destroyed a drug store and a self-service laundry.
