Ferguson unrest: Police officer shooting ‘not linked’ to Brown case

A officer suffered non-life threatening injuries when a suspect shot at him while he was on patrol

Michael Brown’s parents have rejected a police apology (AP)

A police officer has been shot in Ferguson, Missouri, where tensions between residents and law enforcement are still simmering, seven weeks after the fatal police shooting of the unarmed black teenager Michael Brown, which led to days of strife on the streets of the St Louis suburb.

The policeman was reportedly patrolling at a community centre when he spotted a man at the rear of the building. He got out of his car to question the man, who fled, turning to fire several shots as he ran. One bullet struck the officer in the left arm.

The officer was treated at a local hospital for the injury, which is not life-threatening. The suspect is still at large, but police said the incident was thought to be unrelated to the recent unrest – police are looking for two men in the current case.

“I wouldn’t have any reason to believe right now that it was linked in any way, shape, manner or form with the protests,” St Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar told reporters.

The incident comes as protesters in Ferguson continue to demonstrate over the 9 August shooting of Mr Brown, 18, by a white police officer. On Saturday, President Barack Obama said Mr Brown’s death “awakened our nation once again to the reality that … in too many communities around the country, a gulf of mistrust exists between local residents and law enforcement.”

Speaking at a dinner hosted by the congressional black caucus, Mr Obama said: “Too many young men of colour feel targeted by law enforcement, guilty of walking while black, or driving while black, judged by stereotypes that fuel fear and resentment and hopelessness.

“That has a corrosive effect – not just on the black community; it has a corrosive effect on America.”

There were fresh protest in Ferguson last week after a memorial burned down.

At the weekend Mr Brown’s parents, Lesley McSpadden and Michael Brown Sr, rejected a public apology from Ferguson police chief Thomas Jackson over their son’s death.

In a video released on Thursday, Mr Jackson said: “I’m truly sorry for the loss of your son.”