Ferguson protest security turned over to county police, highway patrol

Security surrounding ongoing protests in Ferguson will be turned over to the St. Louis County Police Department and the Missouri State Highway Patrol in the wake of Thursday morning’s shooting of two police officers.

Their handling of protest security will continue until further notice, according to a statement made by the St. Louis County Police. Regular policing duties will continue to be handled by the Ferguson Police Department.

About 150 protesters had gathered outside the Ferguson Police Department Wednesday night following the resignation of police chief Thomas Jackson. As the protest began to dwindle after midnight, two police officers were shot in what officials called “an ambush.”

Though the two officers were soon released from the hospital, the shooting triggered widespread condemnation ranging from the parents of Michael Brown to President Obama.

Authorities searched a home Ferguson in connection to the shooting, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. Authorities say three people are being questioned but no arrests have been made.