Ferguson police on high alert after ‘ambush’ shooting of two officers

Police outside the department provided similar security Thursday night.

About 100 people demonstrated again outside the police station late on Thursday, some banging drums while other chanted "If we don't get no justice, they won't get no peace!"

One woman wore a T-shirt that read: "Is my son next?"

Some demanded the resignation of Ferguson Mayor James Knowles. 

The crowd blocked traffic at times and was told to clear the road by police using loudspeakers, but there were no arrests and by midnight local time the protesters were gone.

Activists who condemned the shooting had also earlier held a candle-light prayer vigil for peace, which was attended by about 40 people a short distance up the road.

"We deplore all forms of violence," said Reverend Osagyefo Sekou, who was in the crowd when shots rang out. "But we also deplore the findings of the Department of Justice report and the suffering and the misery that this community has endured."

The gatherings came after a day marked by St. Louis County investigators canvassing streets near the police station, peering into trash cans, down drains, and quizzing residents about what they saw or heard.

Several people were brought in for questioning, but all of them were later released and no arrests were made, police said. Two Missouri congressman offered a $3,000 reward for information leading to the culprit.

The “No. 1 priority” of the St. Louis Police Department would be to identify the individual or individuals who shot the officers, Belmar said. Police said some suspects were taken into custody for questioning but no arrests have been made.

A 41-year-old officer from his department was struck in the shoulder, and a 32-year-old officer from the nearby Webster Groves Police Department was hit in the face as a crowd of protesters was starting to dwindle. Belmar said that he has spoken to both of them and that they were “hanging in there.” Both have been released from the hospital and are expected to make a full recovery, authorities said.

Officials recovered shell casings from a handgun at the scene, but Belmar cautioned they were not certain the casings could be attributed to the shooting.

“We do believe it was a handgun, based on the way the shots sounded, and injuries to the police officers didn’t appear to be from rifles,” he said. Officers at the scene told him they saw muzzle flashes when the shots were fired and guessed that the shooter was about 125 yards away.

“Many officers drew their weapons, but none fired,” Belmar said as he praised the reaction of officers Wednesday night.

The shooting came near the end of a demonstration in front of the Ferguson Police Department after an announcement by the city’s police chief, Thomas Jackson, that he would resign

Last week the Department of Justice (DOJ) released a scathing report that found evidence of widespread racism at Ferguson’s police department, court and jail. The findings rekindled protests in in the city that began last August after white Ferguson officer Darren Wilson fatally shot unarmed black teenager Michael Brown. Neither a grand jury nor a DOJ investigation led to any charges against Wilson.

Despite anger over the report’s findings, Belmar said “the responsibility of last night’s shooting lies with whoever did the shooting. I want to be very clear about that.”

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder called the shooting a “heinous assault on two brave law enforcement officers” on Thursday.

Jackson, who was heavily criticized for his actions in the aftermath of Brown’s killing, is the latest in a series of Ferguson officials to resign in the wake of the report. 

Holder on Friday proposed the possibility of dismantling the Ferguson Police Department because of the institutionalized racism exposed in the DOJ investigation.

If the department was dismantled, its officers could be transferred to the St. Louis County Police Department. Both Belmar and St. Louis County Executive Steve Stengler said that was a possibility on Thursday, though Belmar said no official talks have taken place on the matter.

Stengler said at the press conference that he had no preference either way but “would like to see a solution.” He showed his support for officers who were at the demonstration on Wednesday.

“I think the way [they] conducted themselves last night was exemplary,” he said. “I trust that will continue.”