Sam Morgan

WSJ Assignment 2 September 29, 2014

Article Title: Suspect Sought in Shooting of Ferguson Officer September 29, 2014
Appeared in: WSJ Monday September 29, 2014, page A3
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Suspect Sought in Shooting of Ferguson Officer
By: Joe Barett

FERGUSON, Mo.Authorities searched on Sunday for a suspect in the shooting of an

officer here the previous night. The incident, police said, appeared to be unrelated to the
civil unrest in the St. Louis suburb where an unarmed black teen was fatally shot by a white
police officer in August.
Protesters crowded the parking lot across from the police department Sunday night,
chanting and banging drums. "Tensions here have been high since the police shooting,"
said St. Louis Alderman Antonio French, as he walked among the protesters.
On Saturday at about 9 p.m., the officer, who hasn't been publicly identified, pulled up
behind the Ferguson community center to question a man about why he was behind the
building, St. Louis County Police spokesman Brian Schellman said in a statement.

The man ran from the officer, who chased him on foot. The suspect spun and fired a
handgun at the officer, who was hit in the arm, he said. The officer returned fire, but there
was no evidence the suspect was hit.
The male officer was treated at a hospital and released, Lt. Col. Al Eickhoff of the Ferguson
Police Department said on Sunday.

Related

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FBI Probes Missouri Teen's Shooting

Ferguson Chief Apologizes to Brown Family in Video

Justice Department Chastises Ferguson, Mo., Police

WSJ's Lee Hawkins discusses the video apology issued by Tom Jackson, police chief of Ferguson, Mo. in regard to controversy surrounding
the shooting of Michael Brown.
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Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers on guard after a Ferguson police officer was shot. Zuma Press

During a Sunday news conference, St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar said he didn't
believe the incident was connected to protests, which have occurred almost nightly since
the Aug. 9 shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Brown.
"It didn't happen within the proximity of the protest area," he said, noting that there was a
demonstration Saturday night. "This is a fairly secluded area. I wouldn't have any reason to
believe right now that it was linked in any way, shape, manner or form with the protest."
The shooting comes days after the Justice Department officially chastised the 53-member
Ferguson police department and released two letters detailing improper procedures.
In a letter to Ferguson Police Chief Thomas Jackson on Friday, civil rights division Deputy
Chief Christy Lopez urged him to stop his officers from wearing "I am Darren Wilson "
wristbands in apparent support for Mr. Wilson, the officer who shot Mr. Brown.
Ferguson residents told federal Justice Department investigators that officers were wearing
the bracelets at a protest Tuesday, Ms. Lopez wrote. The bracelets, she wrote, are
"exacerbating an already tense atmosphere."
A grand jury has convened to hear evidence in the Brown case, but Mr. Wilson hasn't been
charged with a crime.
In a separate letter sent earlier in the week, Ms. Lopez told Chief Jackson he should
enforce a rule requiring officers to wear nameplates. Police also have been criticized for
covering up their nameplates.
Neither Ferguson city nor police officials responded to requests for comment.
The Justice Department is investigating the shooting of Mr. Brown, including a pattern-andpractice investigation to determine whether there are systemic problems with the police.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is working to determine whether Mr. Brown's civil rights
were violated. Local authorities also have an open investigation.
On Thursday, Chief Jackson released a video apology to Michael Brown's family and the
community in which he said Mr. Brown's body should have been removed from the street
much sooner after he was killed. Mr. Brown's body remained on Canfield Drive, a residential
street, for more than four hours while police collected evidence.
Joe Barrett
and Andrew Grossman contributed to this article.