House Dems offer $3,000 reward for info on Ferguson shooter

Two House Democrats from Missouri are offering a $3,000 reward to anyone with information about the Wednesday night shooting of two police officers in Ferguson, Missouri.

"I completely condemn the cowardly ambush of the brave officers who were wounded last night in Ferguson," Rep. Rep. William Lacy Clay (D-Mo.) said Thursday. "I ask everyone to join me in prayers for their swift recovery and for healing in our community. The path of violence does not lead to justice."

Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.), above, and Rep. William Lacy Clay (D-Mo.) (not pictured) are offering a reward for any information about the person or people who shot two Missouri cops on Wednesday night. Image: AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

"What happened in Ferguson last night was a terrible tragedy, and we cannot stand idly by as others transgress," said Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.). "We encourage anyone who has information to come forward."

Late Wednesday, one cop was shot under his right eye, and the other was hit in the shoulder — both are expected to live. One of the cops is with the St. Louis County Police, and the other is from Webster Groves, but both were shot in Ferguson, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

The shooting is threatening to reignite the tensions between police and the community they serve, and is being viewed initially as a reaction to last year's police shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson. Earlier this week, the Justice Department released a report that said it found a pattern of racism in the Ferguson Police Department — Michael Brown was black, and the cop who shot him was white.

The Justice Department didn't find any evidence that Officer Darren Wilson purposefully sought to deny Brown his civil rights, and instead found that Wilson's actions were "not objectively unreasonable" given the situation.

Attorney General Eric Holder called the shooter a "damn punk," and said the officers were victims of a "pure ambush." He said the Justice Department may play a role in helping authorities investigate the crime.

So far, very little information has been published about the possible suspect or possible suspects. The Post-Dispatch said local police have not identified any suspects, but said police took two men into custody on Thursday morning for questioning.