Many ‘Disgusted’ By Sign Protester Displayed at Crime Scene Where Gunman ‘Tried to Assassinate’ Cop

After police say a gunman “tried to assassinate” a St. Louis officer Tuesday morning, a protester angered many in the community by standing outside the crime scene displaying a “How Does It Feel?” sign.

A photo of the man proudly holding the sign was taken by television and radio personalty Jamie Allman, who has a program that airs on KDNL-TV.

The image stirred controversy, with Allman writing online there had been “overwhelming response and anger” in the community.

@KDNLABC30 do those lives not matter? Just because person has issue w/their race doesn't mean everyone else does as well&gotta get past that

— Hannah (@CensoredHannah) July 14, 2015

@KDNLABC30 Appalled and disgusted by this act! #PoliceLivesMatter #BlueLivesMatter #slmpdlivesmatter

— L Silva (@lreneesilva) July 14, 2015

@KDNLABC30 you are apart of the #raceproblem #racebaiter #shameonyou

— Jess (@TravelsWithJes) July 14, 2015

The officer had been targeted by a gunman wearing a bandana who opened fire on the officer’s vehicle in the pre-dawn hours, authorities said. His windshield had been hit with at least a dozen rounds.

The gunman had emerged from a car with three others inside, police said.

Police Chief Sam Dotson wrote on Twitter that it’s likely the officer’s body armor saved his life.

Dotson said the officer sustained a torso injury not considered life-threatening during the hail of gunfire on his private vehicle shortly before 5 a.m. in the city's tony Central West End neighborhood. Dotson called the attack a "brazen act of violence."

The officer, who was working security as a second job, managed to return fire and believes he may have wounded one of the four men who occupied the car from which the gunman emerged, Dotson said.

The officer and the four suspects are black, police said.

"They targeted, they ambushed, they tried to assassinate a police officer," the chief told reporters outside the hospital where the officer was treated and later released. "What we saw tonight are individuals that were armed, that targeted a police officer and had no second thoughts, no remorse about it at all."

Investigators planned to obtain footage from an abundance of surveillance cameras in the area, Dotson said.

He did not release the injured officer's name but said he is a 16-year veteran of the force.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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