Two police officers were reported shot during a protest that was dwindling just before 1:00 am. CDT Thursday. The shootings are reported to have occurred just outside the Ferguson Police Department Headquarters.
Police say that at midnight, the protest was starting to breakup. About 60 or 70 protesters were near the police headquarters. The shots were fired as police were confronting protesters who had gathered outside the police station, but the protesters had been believed to be dwindling after about midnight. Some of the protesters dropped themselves to the ground and others ran when the shots were heard.
A police source said one of the officers shot is a St. Louis County officer (age 41) and the other officer shot is a Webster Groves police officer (age 32). Both police officers were transported to Barnes-Jewish Hospital. Their injuries were described as serious injuries located in the face and upper torso.
Several members of the media, including a Post-Dispatch reporter and photographer, were near the police officers who were shot.
The shots appeared to come from the direction of a residential area near the intersection of Tiffin Avenue and West Florissant Avenue across from police headquarters. Witnesses reported two to four shots — possibly three shots.
Additional police officers with high-powered rifles immediately arrived on the scene.
Police take cover after two cops were shot in front of Ferguson PD on Thursday, March 12, 2015. Pic- @LaurieSkrivan pic.twitter.com/1rTei6bZcn
— Lynden Steele (@manofsteele) March 12, 2015
The two officers shot in #Ferguson said to be @stlcountypd officers. 1 taken to Barnes. Conditions unknown. #ksdk pic.twitter.com/VcFo0JRxj4
— Casey Nolen KSDK (@CaseyNolen) March 12, 2015
Police officers reportedly shot during protests in Ferguson http://t.co/BGCFBNwpSO pic.twitter.com/StoQhwcas4
— Chicago Tribune (@chicagotribune) March 12, 2015
BREAKING: Two officers shot outside #Ferguson police department, according to reports. http://t.co/maZrKTanAH pic.twitter.com/TYedWA4ai8
— SFGate (@SFGate) March 12, 2015
2 Ferguson police officers shot: report http://t.co/h8UfWvU4cV pic.twitter.com/ysR0V509Hy
— CBC News (@CBCNews) March 12, 2015
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