Two Police Officers Shot In Ferguson Protest

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By Sky News US Team

Two officers have been shot during a protest outside the police headquarters in Ferguson, Missouri that turned violent.

Officers, many in riot gear, formed a guard around the police headquarters and witnesses have told how they heard four shots and saw two policemen fall to the ground.

Immediately, other officers drew their weapons as the two on the ground were dragged away.

Fighting also erupted among the crowd of demonstrators, with television footage showing people throwing punches.

The demonstration outside the police station and court building was taking place shortly after the resignation of police Chief Thomas Jackson, who quit following a scathing government report that exposed racial biases in his department and a profit-driven court system.

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Gallery: Violence On Streets Of Ferguson, Missouri

Fury has erupted into fighting on the streets of Ferguson, Missouri, where two police officers have been shot during a demonstration

The city's police chief Thomas Jackson quit his post following a report that exposed racism in his department and a profit-driven court system

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Protesters had been calling for Jackson's removal since the fatal shooting of an unarmed black teenager by a white Ferguson police officer on August 9 last year

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Following Jackson's resignation, crowds gathered outside the City of Ferguson Police Department, quickly turning violent overnight

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Before Jackson, city manager John Shaw and then Municipal Court judge Ronald Brockmeyer stepped down from their jobs

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St Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar said the protest was dispersing when at least three shots were fired.

"The police officers were standing there and they were shot. Just because they were police officers," he said.

The wounded officers were a 41-year-old from St Louis County who was shot in the shoulder and a 32-year-old from nearby Webster Groves who was shot in the face.

Both were taken to a local hospital, where they were conscious, Chief Belmar said.

He described their injuries as "very serious".

One protester, Marciay Pitchford, said: "I saw the officer go down and the other police officers drew their guns while other officers dragged the injured officer away," adding that the demonstration had been mostly peaceful until then.

"All of a sudden everybody started running or dropping to the ground".

Chief Jackson is the sixth Ferguson city official to quit or be fired in the wake of the reports, the first of which cleared white police officer Darren Wilson of civil rights charges in the shooting of a black teenager Michael Brown last summer.

The St Louis suburb has been hit by unrest ever since.

On Tuesday, the city council voted unanimously to accept the resignation of City Manager John Shaw, who oversaw the police department.

That followed Municipal Court Judge Ronald Brockmeyer's decision to step down on Monday.

Chief Jackson, who had previously resisted calls from protesters and some of Missouri's top officials to resign, told the St Louis Post-Dispatch he felt it was time to move on.

"I believe this is the appropriate thing to do at this time," he said. "This city needs to move forward without any distractions."

The 57-year-old embattled chief was widely criticised for his handling of the 9 August shooting of Mr Brown and subsequent protests.

In his resignation letter, obtained by the Post-Dispatch, Mr Jackson said: "It has been an honor and a privilege to serve this great city and to serve with all of you.

"I will continue to assist the city in any way I can in my capacity as private citizen."

Ferguson Mayor James Knowles denied rumours that he would also resign, the newspaper reported on Wednesday.

The city plans to launch a nationwide search for a new police chief, it said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Mr Brown's family have said they will file a civil wrongful death lawsuit against Ferguson and Darren Wilson.

Mr Wilson, who said he acted in self-defence, was cleared by a grand jury and the Justice Department of any wrongdoing.

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