Police Call Ferguson Shooting An 'Ambush'

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By Sky News US Team

The St Louis County police chief says the shooting of two officers in Ferguson was an "ambush".

The two officers were shot during a protest outside the Ferguson, Missouri, police headquarters on Wednesday night.

"We're lucky by God's grace we didn't lose two officers," St Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar told reporters.

"This is really an ambush."

Attorney General Eric Holder called the shooting a "heinous assault" that threatens reforms under way in Ferguson.

"We will continue to stand unequivocally against all acts of violence against cops whenever and wherever they occur," he said in a statement.

The shooter remains at large. But Sky News' Paul Kelso in Ferguson said officers swarmed a property on Thursday morning looking for suspects.

Witnesses said two men were taken away, and SWAT teams were on the roof shining a light in the house.

Eyewitness Bruce Patterson told Sky News: "Since August, it's just been a nightmare.

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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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"It's brought out the worst in people. After last night it's just got me scared."

The two wounded policemen were released from hospital on Thursday. They are not expected to have long-term injuries.

A 32-year-old officer was shot in his cheek, just below his right eye, with the bullet lodging behind his ear.

The other officer, 41 years old, was shot in his right shoulder, with the bullet exiting his body through his back, said Chief Belmar.

"We could have buried two police officers next week over this," he said.

The shots were fired in front of the police department hours after the resignation of Police Chief Thomas Jackson, the latest city official to quit in the wake of a scathing federal government report alleging bias within the police department and court system.

Before the shooting, the protest was largely peaceful, with some chanting to show they were not satisfied with the resignations of Chief Jackson and other officials over recent days.

Then shots rang out, fired from across the street from the police department, according to Chief Belmar.

A large number of officers, some in riot gear, formed a guard around the police station as panic spread among the protesters.

Ferguson, a predominantly black suburb, has been on edge since last summer, when Michael Brown, a black 18-year-old who was unarmed, was shot and killed by city police officer Darren Wilson.

When Officer Wilson, who is white, was cleared in November by a state grand jury, the decision set off further protests, looting and fires.

But this week is the first time an officer at a protest has been shot.

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