Two young St. Louis police officers on Wednesday afternoon were shot following a police chase that went north into Ferguson. The officers returned fire and killed one of three suspects.
While one officer was shot in the leg and is expected to recover, the other was shot in the abdomen and was in critical, unstable condition when he was brought in, according to St. Louis Police Chief John Hayden. Both were taken to Barnes-Jewish Hospital.
“The doctors will tell you that as they neared the end of the surgery that he was certainly better off than when he was when he was brought in and so they have discussed moving to the ICU,” Hayden said Wednesday evening regarding the officer shot in the abdomen. “And so, we are encouraged by that. By no stretch of the imagination is he out of danger but they wanted us to know he was doing better now than he was when we brought him in.”
Both police officers are in their twenties. The 28-year-old officer shot in the leg has been with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department for two and a half years, while the 25-year-old officer has been on the force for three and a half years.
Police officials said the two officers were driving in a marked car around 1:15 p.m. when they spotted a white Toyota 4Runner believed to be involved in a homicide that occurred Tuesday. After the Toyota failed to pull over, they followed the car for some time until the driver lost control of the vehicle at West Florissant Avenue and Lang Drive in Ferguson.
The three occupants of the 4Runner fled on foot and at least one person began to shoot at the officers. They returned fire, striking that person who was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
Hayden confirmed Wednesday afternoon the St. Louis County Police Department is handling the investigation. The department later released they had arrested two additional people after a pursuit on foot and that they found a long gun and pistol at the scene.
St. Louis County Police Lt. Col. Steve Sack appeared with Hayden during the chief’s second briefing around 5 p.m. and told the public the investigation was “very active.”
He asked the public to recognize the danger officers face every day when they go out and do their jobs.
No further details on the incident were immediately available.
Hayden, who was visibly upset during his first public briefing, asked the community to pray for the officers.
“It’s just a tough time to be a first responder, I mean we’re hearing about critical incidents daily and it’s just tough,” he said. “Officers are here doing everything they can to keep people safe and we keep having these critical incidents.”
This shooting comes two days after two city police officers were struck by a vehicle on westbound I-64 near Boyle Avenue as those officers were handling an accident. Both were transported to the hospital and are expected to survive.
St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones, who was at the hospital with Hayden, tweeted about the incident later on.
“I know our city is praying for officers and their families, and we are grateful for the hard work of medical professionals caring for them,” she wrote.
The Ethical Society of Police also spoke out Thursday morning.
“The past few weeks have been difficult for first responders because of several critical incidents,” the association tweeted. “We pray all officers experience a quick healing process. Our prayers are with them and their families.”
Wednesday’s shooting occurred near the Urban League‘s Ferguson Community Empowerment Center, at 9420 W. Florissant Ave. A news release from the organization noted the center went on lockdown with five staff members inside. No one was outside the building at the time of the shooting.
“The Urban League family is deeply grieved by the events of today,” Michael P. McMillan, president and CEO Of the Urban League said. “Our thoughts [and] our prayers are with the family of the officers injured and we pray for their complete recovery.”
McMillan confirmed he is in contact with Ferguson Mayor Ella Jones, who has indicated to him that the Ferguson police are cooperating with city and county police.
She offered her prayers for the officers involved, according to McMillan
The shooting took place a few blocks from where 18-year-old Michael Brown was gunned down by a white Ferguson police officer in August 2014, which ignited months of unrest in the area.
Local leaders react
Several city leaders took to social media to offer prayers and support for the officers:
“Praying for these officers [and] all of our first responders during this difficult time,” Aldermanic President Lewis Reed tweeted.
“St. Louis’s first responders have been through a lot in the past few weeks, let alone the whole of the pandemic,” Alderwoman Annie Rice, Ward 8, tweeted. “Sending prayers to all of our public safety personnel, including the police officers injured the other night and officers currently at BJC.”
“My prayers are with those officers and their families,” Alderman Jack Coatar, Ward 7, tweeted.
“May their youth not be robbed from them but speed their recovery instead,” Alderman Bill Stephens, Ward 12, tweeted.
“Praying for these officers and their families,” Alderwoman Anne Schweitzer, Ward 13, tweeted.
“Upon hearing this news, my heart sank! My prayers are with these officers and their families,” Alderman Tom Oldenburg, Ward 6, tweeted.
“Just sad. Let’s keep the officers and family lifted up in prayer. Lord have mercy,” Alderman Jeffrey Boyd, Ward 22, tweeted.
“How long how long are we as a community will [sic] continue to support the nonsense and not our first responders. Police, fireman, Marshall, correctional officers just remember who do you call when in trouble, who is at the CJC, work house on duty the madness has to stop,” Alderwoman Pam Boyd, Ward 27, tweeted.
