One Wounded in “Officer-Related Shooting” During Ferguson Protests
[There was a video here]
At least one St. Louis County police officer opened fire during tonight’s anniversary protests in Ferguson, allegedly after coming under “heavy fire.” There are reports that one person was wounded during the shooting, which took place as the interim chief of the Ferguson police department gave a live TV interview.
As new interim #Ferguson police chief talks to us shots ring out. Listen. Tears and screaming after pic.twitter.com/mY7zbKXOoO
August 10, 2015
The St. Louis County police department has confirmed the incident, saying there was an “officer-related shooting after officers came under heavy gunfire.”
(1/2) A St. Louis County officer was involved in an officer-involved shooting after comin g under heavy gunfire. pic.twitter.com/L4PqopaEF1
August 10, 2015
(2/2) During the gunfire, at least 2 unmarked cars took shots. We will release more details when available. pic.twitter.com/luPnp6iXqZ
August 10, 2015
There’s no confirmation of any injuries yet, but there are reports that at least one person was shot. From the Associated Press:
It wasn’t immediately clear whether any one was injured in the shooting, but minutes after the shots were heard, an Associated Press photographer saw a man lying face down, covered in blood, behind a boarded-up restaurant. It wasn’t immediately clear how badly the man was injured.
Later, an AP reporter saw a woman overcome with grief. Friends were consoling her. She screamed: “Why did they do it?” Another woman nearby fainted.
A man nearby said, “They killed my brother.”
Below is purported video of the victim.
August 10, 2015
He was put in the ambulance alive
August 10, 2015
There are also reports that a second person was wounded during a separate shooting.
#BREAKING: Police confirm two separate shootings, two shooting victims in #Ferguson. No update on conditions of the victims #News4StLouis
August 10, 2015
UPDATE: 1:51 am:
Police in Ferguson say two people shot during confrontation with protesters, their condition not immediately known - Reuters
August 10, 2015
UPDATE 2:26 am: Below is video of the actual shooting.
RT video shows a gunman emerging from behind truck with arm stretched into air firing as crowd scrambles #Ferguson pic.twitter.com/Ct4MQ7gS7d
August 10, 2015
Update 8/10/15 8:30 a.m.:
According to the New York Times, which has a timeline of the shooting, Ferguson police were responding to two rival gangs who apparently initiated the gunfire. The injured man is reportedly a member of one of the groups and allegedly had a stolen 9-milimeter Sig Sauer on his person:
The shooting came after rival groups began shooting at each other on the west side of West Florissant Avenue, the center of the Ferguson protests, Chief Jon Belmar of the St. Louis County Police Department said. Chief Belmar said that there had been two more shootings in the area, and that the police had used smoke canisters.
The injured man, who was not publicly identified, was part of one of the rival groups, the chief said, and four plainclothes officers saw him running across a parking lot on the opposite side of the avenue.
The officers drove their unmarked sport utility vehicle, with its interior lights flashing, toward him, and he opened fire on the car, Chief Belmar said. The police returned fire from inside the car and then chased the man on foot, he said. Dozens of gunshots were fired, and all four officers shot back and hit the man, who fell to the ground, he said.
