No arrest imminent in shooting of Ferguson cops – probers
FERGUSON ( AFP) — Investigators are working “around the clock” and have many leads but are not close to arresting anyone over the shooting of two police officers in racially charged Ferguson, a police chief said Friday.
Nearly 48 hours after the officers were shot just when a demonstration was ending, St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar admitted to reporters: “I cannot tell you at this point that an arrest is imminent. There is certainly nobody in custody.
“When we get to the point where we feel like we have active leads, if we can do anything through you to have the community assist us, we will certainly let you know.”
Ferguson hit the headlines in August when a white policeman fatally shot unarmed black teenager Michael Brown, setting off protests that spread to major cities across the United States and triggered a national debate about police tactics, especially in relation to African Americans.
Last week a scathing US Justice Department report faulted Ferguson for using its police and municipal court to generate revenue by targeting the African-American majority in the St. Louis suburb of 21,000.
Wednesday night’s shooting came hours after Ferguson’s embattled police chief Thomas Jackson resigned. The city manager and municipal judge have also quit.
One of the police officers was hit in the face, the other in the shoulder, sparking a manhunt for those responsible and putting the flashpoint town on edge once more.
Neither police officer was seriously hurt.
Police raided a red-brick bungalow on Thursday and took in three people for questioning. They were later released and detectives Friday appeared no closer to finding who was responsible for the shooting.
“Please appreciate the fact that we have a situation where many leads come in to us,” Belmar said. “There were several leads that came in to us regarding that specific house. We were able to investigate that.”
He added: “The detectives are looking into this investigation around the clock. They will not rest until we get to the point of where we have a conclusion regarding this investigation.”