President Barack Obama speaks at Georgia Tech on March 10, 2015 in Atlanta, Ga. (credit: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images)
FERGUSON, Mo. (CBSDC/AP) — Two officers were shot in front of the Ferguson Police Department early Thursday while demonstrators were gathered across the street — an attack the county police chief described as “an ambush” that could easily have killed both men.
The shots were fired just as a small crowd of protesters began to break up after holding a demonstration in the wake of the resignation of the Ferguson police chief, who stepped down Wednesday.
St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar said one officer was shot in the face, just below his right eye, with the bullet lodging behind his ear. The other officer was hit in the shoulder, and the bullet came out his back.
Both men were expected to recover without suffering any long-term damage, Belmar said, but the wounds might have been mortal.
“We could have buried two police officers next week over this,” he said.
The 32-year-old officer who was shot in the face was from nearby Webster Groves. The second officer, 41, came from the St. Louis County force.
By late morning, both men had been released from the hospital, according to St. Louis County police spokesman Brian Schellman.
Authorities believe the shots came from a handgun fired about 120 yards away. Police said some suspects had been taken into custody for questioning, but no arrests had been made.
Based on where the officers were standing and the trajectory of the bullets, the shots appeared to be aimed directed at the police, Belmar said.
“This is really an ambush,” he said. “You are basically defenseless. It is hard to guard against.”
Asked whether the gunman played any part in the protest, Belmar said he was “very confident that whoever did this was there for the wrong reasons.”
“There was an unfortunate association with the gathering,” he added.
President Barack Obama personally tweeted from the White House Twitter account about the shooting, saying that “violence against police is unacceptable.”
“Our prayers are with the officers in MO. Path to justice is one all of us must travel together,” Obama tweeted.
