Witnesses Say the Shots Did Not Come From Group of Protestors
Ferguson, MO: Police are still searching for the attacker or attackers, who shot two Ferguson Police officers early this morning. A 32-year-old officer sustained a gunshot wound to the face, while a 41-year-old officer was shot in the shoulder. Both were taken to a local hospital where both are reportedly conscious. Their conditions are listed as very serious injuries but not life-threatening.
New protests are beginning after the resignation the town’s Chief of Police, Thomas Jackson. Ferguson has had continuous clashes and protests since the August 9th, 2014, shooting-death of 18-year-old Michael Brown last summer. Brown was killed by Ferguson Police officer Darren Wilson, who has since resigned. Ferguson, a suburb of St. Luis has made headlines throughout the US and abroad.
A week ago, the Justice department released a report claiming that the Ferguson Police Department was discriminating against members of the African American community, raising racial tensions to an all-time high. In their report, The Justice Department found that 68% black residents in the area are less likely to have their case dismissed by a municipal court judge. Also stated by an official is that from April 2014 to September 2014, almost 95% of those arrested and kept in the city jail for more than two nights were African Americans.
St. Louis Police Chief Jon Belmar had this to say about the recent police shooting, “These police officers were standing there and they were shot, just because they were police officers.” Belmar also said, “I have said all along, that we cannot sustain this forever without problems.” The demonstration started peacefully on Wednesday night, but when about two dozen officers, clad in riot gear faced off with some of the protesters, at least two people were arrested, and tensions within the crowd rose.
Many protestors at the scene claim that the shots did not come from the group of protestors, while witness/activist DeRay McKesson took to social media to spread his account of the incident. On his Twitter account he wrote, “The shooter was not with the protesters. The shooter was atop the hill.” He also stated that the shots came from at least 500 feet away.