Ferguson: 2 Police Officers Shot After Chief Resigns
By Holly Yan and Greg Botelho, Mar. 12, 2015, CNN
The overnight shootings of two police officers in Ferguson was an "ambush," St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar told reporters Thursday morning, saying the gunshots were directed at the police.
Police investigating the overnight shooting "perhaps" have some leads on who shot them, but no one is in custody, Belmar said.
Belmar said he wouldn't add details about those possible leads, saying detectives need time to work the case. Identifying the shooter or shooters is the No. 1 priority of St. Louis County police, he said.
Whoever shot the officers was there "for whatever nefarious reason it was" to inflict harm, Belmar said.
Belmar also gave details about the officers' injuries:
-- One of them -- an officer from Webster Groves, Missouri -- was shot "at the high point" of his cheek, under his right eye, and the bullet is now lodged behind one of his ears, Belmar said.
-- The other officer struck, from St. Louis County, was shot in his shoulder and the bullet came out the middle of his back, according to Belmar.
The two police officers were standing next to each other in front of the Ferguson, Missouri, police department when they were hit around midnight, Belmar said.
Authorities believe a handgun was used to shoot the two officers, Belmar said, "based on the way the shots sounded and the injuries to the police officers."
The overnight shootings of two police officers in Ferguson was an "ambush," St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar told reporters Thursday morning, saying the gunshots were directed at the police.
Police investigating the overnight shooting "perhaps" have some leads on who shot them, but no one is in custody, Belmar said.
Belmar said he wouldn't add details about those possible leads, saying detectives need time to work the case. Identifying the shooter or shooters is the No. 1 priority of St. Louis County police, he said.
Whoever shot the officers was there "for whatever nefarious reason it was" to inflict harm, Belmar said.
Belmar also gave details about the officers' injuries:
-- One of them -- an officer from Webster Groves, Missouri -- was shot "at the high point" of his cheek, under his right eye, and the bullet is now lodged behind one of his ears, Belmar said.
-- The other officer struck, from St. Louis County, was shot in his shoulder and the bullet came out the middle of his back, according to Belmar.
The two police officers were standing next to each other in front of the Ferguson, Missouri, police department when they were hit around midnight, Belmar said.
Authorities believe a handgun was used to shoot the two officers, Belmar said, "based on the way the shots sounded and the injuries to the police officers."
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