One of the officers, a 41-year-old man from St. Louis County Police department, was struck in the shoulder. The other, a 32-year-old from the nearby Webster Groves Police Department, was shot in the face, St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar said at a news conference.
What we know about the officers shot in Ferguson: http://t.co/CTHPVAYVwm pic.twitter.com/qqE3bw6Tq7
— Clara Jeffery (@ClaraJeffery) 12 Март 2015
"These police officers were standing there and they were shot, just because they were police officers," Belmar said.
The shots were fired as several dozen protesters and police from multiple departments converged hours after a Wednesday afternoon announcement by Ferguson Mayor James Knowles that Tom Jackson, the controversial Ferguson Chief of Police, would resign his post, according to the local media reports.
The demonstration was largely peaceful, but later on some two dozen officers in riot gear faced off against the protesters, who had relocated to the street. At least two people were taken into custody at the time.
According to Belmar, the shooter was "embedded" in the group of demonstrators who were standing across from the officers at the time.
Protesters at the scene however argued that the shots did not come from where they were standing.
The shooter was not with the protestors. The shooter was atop the hill. We can live in a world without guns.
— deray mckesson (@deray) 12 Март 2015
The same witness also says that contrary to reports, one of the wounded officers was shot not in the face, but in the chest.
The officer also said that contrary to reports, no officer was shot in the face tonight. He said chest and shoulder only.
— deray mckesson (@deray) 12 Март 2015
Protesters had called for Jackson's removal since the fatal shooting of unarmed black 18-year-old Michael Brown by white Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson on August 9, 2014. The jury did not indict the officer.
Tom Jackson will remain in his position until March 19, when Lt. Col. Al Eickhoff will take over as the acting police chief. The "mutual separation agreement" reached with the city will include severance and health insurance for one year.
