Two men shot during another night of violent protests in Ferguson, Mo., have not yet been identified. But police confirmed early Tuesday that officers were not involved in the shootings.
Missouri State Highway Patrol Capt. Ronald Johnson said in an early morning news briefing he had no updates on the shooting victims and no information on their identities. He later told reporters one person was shot in the hand.
“We can’t have this,” he said following the 2:20 a.m. news briefing. “We do not want any citizen hurt, we don’t want any officer hurt. But when you’re shooting in apartment complexes and children are laying in the bed in apartment complexes and bullets are flying through the air… The old saying on the street is, ‘A bullet has no name.’ We do not want to lose another life in this community.”
After the news conference, reporters asked Johnson if any of the 31 people arrested Monday night were journalists. He said no but explained that, amid chaos, officers aren’t always certain who is media and who is not.
“We may take some of you into custody, but when we do take you into custody and we have found out that you are journalists we have taken the proper action,” he said.
Johnson said police also have a responsiblity to protect journalists.
“We are going to make this neighborhood whole,” he said. “We are going to make this community whole. We’re going to do it together. And I am not going to let the criminals that have come from across the country or live in the community define this neighborhood or define what we’re going to do to make it right.”