Ferguson Protester Who Hurled Tear Gas Canister in Iconic Photo Dead

Edward Crawford, Jr., the man whose image became the defining moment in the Ferguson protests, is dead.

Crawford was found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound, and police are trying to determine if it was accidental or suicide.

Crawford's dad told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "I don't believe it was a suicide," adding cops are being "hush-hush" about the investigation.

The photo symbolized the tensions between police and protester in the wake of Michael Brown's death. Cops hurled a tear gas canister at protesters ... Crawford picked it up and hurled it back.

Crawford was 27 and the father of 4 children.