Police shoot dead black teen in Missouri

US police say they've shot dead an black teenager after he allegedly pointed a handgun at an officer.

The shooting happened in a town near Ferguson, Missouri, scene of a prior police shooting that sparked nationwide protests.

St Louis County police said in a statement that an officer from the suburb of Berkeley "fired several shots" after the man "pulled a handgun and pointed it at the officer".

The shooting took place late on Tuesday at a petrol station while the officer was conducting a routine patrol.

Police spokesman Brian Schellman said the officer had exited his vehicle and approached two men at the gas station when one of them pulled a weapon.

"Fearing for his life, the Berkeley officer fired several shots, striking the subject, fatally wounding him."

Police said early on Wednesday that they were unable to identify the deceased man and that the second suspect fled and had not been apprehended.

Authorities said they recovered a handgun at the scene and an investigation into the shooting was underway.

A local television station, KMOV, reported that dozens of angry residents confronted about a dozen police at the scene.

The shooting is the latest in several such incidents that led to nationwide protests into how police in the US interact with the country's black community.

It follows the racially charged fatal shooting in August of black teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson.