In a gruesome incident, two cops were critically injured – a 32-year-old from Webster Groves was shot in the face and a 41-year-old from St. Louis County was shot in the shoulder – by protesters outside the Ferguson Police Department building, early Thursday morning. An amateur video captured the moment that the shots rang out during a civil demonstration in Ferguson.
“These police officers were standing there, and they were shot just because they were police officers. We have seen in law enforcement that this is a very, very, very dangerous environment for the officers to work, regarding the amount of gunfire that we have experienced up there,” St. Louis County Police Chief John Belmar told the media.
Belmar said the shots were fired from an undetermined location north or northwest of the Ferguson Police Department building. “We were very close to having what happened to the NYPD. We could have buried two police officers. We are lucky by God’s grace that we didn’t lose two police officers. With both officers, we don’t have any remarkable long-term injuries,” he added.
Violence against police is unacceptable. Our prayers are with the officers in MO. Path to justice is one all of us must travel together. –bo
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 12, 2015
In a statement by US Attorney General, Eric Holder, “This heinous assault on two brave law enforcement officers was inexcusable and repugnant. I condemn violence against any public safety officials in the strongest terms, and the Department of Justice will never accept any threats or violence directed at those who serve and protect our communities. … Such senseless acts of violence threaten the very reforms that nonviolent protesters in Ferguson and around the country have been working towards for the past several months.”
Tensions started boiling on Wednesday night after the city’s Police Chief, Tom Jackson, resigned following a Justice Department report acknowledging widespread racial bias in policing the St. Louis suburb.
The Ferguson Police Department (FPD) arrested 460 individuals for outstanding warrants between October 2012 and October 2014: 96% of those arrested were African-Americans. From 2011-2013, African-Americans accounted for 95% of ‘Manner of Walking in Roadway’ charges, 94% of ‘Failure to Comply’ charges, 92% of ‘Resisting Arrest’ charges, 92% of ‘Peace Disturbance’ charges and 89% of ‘Failure to Obey’ charges.
Perhaps that’s the reason why people have such mixed reactions on Twitter:
Obama provided the motive, Sharpton provided the hate, Holder provided the ammunition – the criminal followed their leaders. #Ferguson
— Laura Freed (@heyLauraFreed) March 12, 2015
I’m sure it was a mostly peaceful shooting. #Ferguson
— jon gabriel (@exjon) March 12, 2015
So #Ferguson is unsafe when police are shot at but when police shoot and kill unarmed civilians, the are is safe?! Hmmm.
— Charles Wade (@akacharleswade) March 12, 2015
“Gosh, we built this pyre, soaked it with gas, and lit it with a match. We can’t believe it caught fire.” – media on #Ferguson
— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) March 12, 2015
Man enough is enough I’m tired of street violence period #Ferguson #WakeUpAmerica
— Wayne DuPree ★彡 (@WayneDupreeShow) March 12, 2015
Ive been Actively Competition Shooting for 19 years now. Never seen anyone take shots like that with a handgun at 125 yards. #Ferguson
— Hatch Unfiltered (@HatchHarkness) March 12, 2015
This person was who did the shooting had an trained eye. They either had a lot of practice at the shooting range or they are a vet #Ferguson
— Anonymous (@occupythemob) March 12, 2015
Violence begets more #violence. If we don’t take the time to learn #history, we are doomed to repeat it. #Ferguson #FergusonShooting
— Rasheed Lowery (@RasheedLowery) March 12, 2015
if th shots came from that far away, is it not possible they were shot by a trained government agent , now cops will be out for blood and things will come to a boil and this will only make these pigs more then happy to go door to door and take guns for law abiding people, I think there is more to it then there seems
So many #UnitedStatesCitizens had been killed, beaten, and raped by #police and nobody cares but when 2 police officers are shot and will survive, “everybody just loses their minds” in the mean time, police are going to gear up and go on a #policestate, which the police will kill, beat, and rape our future generations to come. #NewWorldOrder #Reptilians #Greys #fuckTheWorldWideBankbecauseTheyveBeenFundingEveryWar damn #Reptilians
Shoot to kill
Live by the gun, die by the gun. Police officers are human and get frustrated and angry with the law which has become a joke. They find definite evidence against say a pedophile and the court throw it out on a technicality. This can only lead to officers thinking why bother, shoot them now so they don’t get off. The problem is the system not the individuals. How Gangs were allowed to get as powerful as they are is an indication that the system is flawed. And don’t get me started on the right to bear arms! A simple gun but an all out assault rifle….please!!!
Gangs were allowed to get as powerful as they are because they are fighting against a despot, and they were so much allowed as necessitated. Iron fists do not rule well for very long, and the time has expired on the United States’ tyranny.
The right to bear arms is a joke. It is a joke not because people are without the right but because people believe they need an enumerated list to prove the right. People have the right to life, and to have a right to life implies the right to defend/protect that life. Against armed assailants, being armed is the best defense. The type of firearm needed is not determined by an act of congress. It is determined by the assailant. It is as easy to kill a crowd with a shotgun as it is with an assault rifle, maybe easier.
Where is the proof that the cops were harmed “-by protesters”. Come on ANON, don’t publish stories that backup the police narrative that protesters are violent.
Im from Ireland our police don’t have guns unless they are detectives and attached to a serious crime division and so fort…. they have talked about our cops been armed and we have no free gun laws like America but if our police had guns and get that power their would be so many more deaths in one year than our ‘crimelords’ have ever committed in a life time. Our police beat, intimidate, bully, get involved in illegal activity and generally just do what they want because they have a badge. Some of the best drugs ive got came from serving and retired cops…… I am not surprised this is happening because having a rule in America of always shot to kill and not just disarm is ridiculous in some situations maybe it is necessary but 9/10 it isn’t. American cops are too easy for their gun and as I say myself if you put a gun in a cowards hand that is the first thing he will use… A cop in Ireland went into his office and blew his head off with a shotgun because he was having family problem it didn’t get one bit reported because it would have been a shame on the force the only reason I know is because of family worked with him…. and the same person that I found out through had a gun put into her mouth one night by her husband than was a head detective and told don’t ever talk like that to me when they where talking. Cops are usually either power mad, bullied when young and want their own authority to get back or just general psychopaths…. and then you have the other 10-20% that really care which is soon drilled out of them to just be a servant of a dictator