'They tried to assassinate a police officer’: St. Louis cop 'ambushed' by 4 suspects while sitting in his car

Greg P. | 8:01 AM on July 14, 2015

Breaking news out of St. Louis where a police officer working a second job patrolling the neighborhood was shot and wounded earlier this morning after four assailants “ambushed” him while he was sitting in his car:

Breaking: #StLouis #police ambushed. Search on for 4 men in gray Taurus. Cop protected by ballistic vest #BlueLivesMatter @foxandfriends

— heather nauert (@HeatherNauert) July 14, 2015

39yo Sgt – 16yr veteran – ambushed by 4 suspects while sitting in his personal car in full uniform while working secondary patrol. @FOX2now

— Katie Kormann (@KatieKormann) July 14, 2015

Officer did return fire – Chief says may have hit one of the suspects. Number of shots fired TBD.

— Katie Kormann (@KatieKormann) July 14, 2015

.@ChiefSLMPD – "They tried to assassinate a police officer." @SLMPD @FOX2now @FOX2morning

— Katie Kormann (@KatieKormann) July 14, 2015

But why was this cop targeted?

There were protests yesterday in St. Louis for Brandon Claxton, a 16-year-old who was shot and reportedly paralyzed by a cop Saturday night after refusing to drop his gun. Could the anger over Claxton’s shooting and the ambush this morning be related?

From the St. Louis Post Dispatch:

A teenager shot by city police is paralyzed below the waist, his mother said Sunday as her family copes with another episode of gun violence. Not seven years ago, her teenage daughter was accidentally shot to death.

This time, a firearm in the hand of her son, Brandon Claxton, 16, prompted an officer to shoot him three times about 7:15 p.m. Saturday in a housing complex in the 2500 block of Hodiamont Avenue, officials said. Police encountered him while responding to a call about someone with a stolen pistol.