ST. LOUIS – Four police officers were hit by gunfire after protests in St. Louis that started peacefully Monday became violent overnight, with demonstrators smashing windows and stealing items from businesses and fires burning in the downtown area.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department tweeted early Tuesday that the officers were taken to a hospital with injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening. It was unclear who had fired the shots.
During a late-morning press conference, Police Chief John Hayden said the officers had been released from the hospital.
The shooting happened just after midnight in the 1700 block of Olive Street, not far from police headquarters.
The four officers were assisting the Civil Disobedience Team and standing in the street when they were shot. Two of the officers were shot in the leg, one in the foot, and one in the arm.
The officers were identified as a 52-year-old man (30 years of policing experience), a 34-year-old man (12 years of experience), a 36-year-old man (3 years of experience), and a 28-year-old man (1 year of experience).
The chaos in St. Louis followed continued protests Monday in Missouri over the death of George Floyd and the police treatment of African Americans, with gatherings also held in Kansas City and Jefferson City.
