2 Ferguson Police Officers Shot During Protest

Two police officers were shot outside the Ferguson Police Department just after midnight Thursday. The shooting occurred during an otherwise peaceful protest following the resignation of Ferguson police chief Tom Jackson.

An officer from St. Louis County was shot in the shoulder, while the other officer, from Webster Groves, was struck in the face. They were then taken to Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, where their condition is unknown.

“These police officers were standing there, and they were shot just because they were police officers,” said county police chief John Belmar.

Belmar told ABC News that at least three shots were fired from an as yet undetermined location north of northwest of the Ferguson Police Department Building.

He added, “We have seen in law enforcement that this is a very, very, very dangerous environment for the officers to work in regarding the amount of gunfire that we have experienced up there."

Protesters began to gather following Jackson's resignation, staring down police officers dressed in riot gear. Only a few arrests were made.