Ferguson, United States--Investigators are working "around the clock" and have leads but are not close to arresting anyone over the shooting of two police officers in racially charged Ferguson, a police chief said Friday.
Nearly 48 hours after the officers were shot in the Missouri town -- one in the face -- St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar admitted to reporters: "I cannot tell you at this point that an arrest is imminent. There is certainly nobody in custody.
"When we get to the point where we feel like that we have active leads, if we can do anything through you to have the community assist us, we will certainly let you know."
Ferguson hit the headlines in August when a white policeman shot dead unarmed black teenager Michael Brown, setting off protests that spread to major cities across the United States and triggered a national debate about police tactics, especially in relation to African Americans.
Last week a scathing US Justice Department report found black Americans were targeted by police in Ferguson and on Wednesday the town's embattled police chief, Thomas Jackson, became the latest prominent figure to stand down.
Later that night the two police officers were shot, but not badly hurt, sparking a manhunt for those responsible and putting the flashpoint town on edge once more.
Ferguson police raided a brick bungalow on Thursday and three people were taken in for questioning, but not arrested.
"Please appreciate the fact that we have a situation where many leads come in to us. There were several leads that came in to us regarding that specific house. We were able to investigate that," said Belmar.
He added: "The detectives are looking into this investigation around the clock. They will not rest until we get to the point of where we have a conclusion regarding this investigation."
AFP
