Here's the full article from the N.Y. Times. The shooter(s) are unknown, having fired from a hill a distance away. The officers were seriously injured but are expected to live. First paragraphs:
FERGUSON, Mo. — Two police officers were shot and injured here early Thursday morning as gunfire rang out in front of the police station, throwing into panic what had been a spirited but largely peaceful night of protests.
Demonstrators and police officers alike hit the ground when the gunshots echoed through the crisp air. Many people ran for cover. The police, clad in riot gear, dragged their wounded fellow officers to safety. Other officers crouched behind cars and walls, drawing their handguns or rifles as they rapidly swiveled their heads every which way to survey their surroundings.
This reminds me of the concept of
Revolutions of Rising Expectations, where some progress can create a groundswell for further remediation of injustice. While "revolution" has different images to different people, I see it as a disaster. For those who need examples lets look at the French of 1789, the Russian of 1917 and only recently the "Arab Spring." The last one has resulted in violence followed by chaos in Syria and autocracy in Egypt, conditions worse than what had been before.
The words of the departing U.S. Attorney General, Eric Holder, in castigating the city of Ferguson for their targeting the poorest of their citizens with minor infractions, not for the crime but for revenue production, was clear and cogent. He was correct in focusing on the systemic, rather than the actions of the one single incident, Officer Michael Wilson's killing of Michael Brown.
The statement by Brown's family of gratification for Holders response, words to the effect of, "If this changes this city the death of our son will not be in vain." were powerfully meaningful. Unlike a few generations ago, the Federal Government now has the authority to change cultures such as exist (ed) in cities such as this one.
There are times when a violent revolution, the destruction of an entire political regime, may be necessary. But it's not in this country, not in this era, while breaches of civil rights when they do exist, are on the defensive.
Those who shot those policemen should be condemned and punished for what is a hate crime. It matters not whether the precipitating color is blue or black, the damage to our society is just as pernicious