The shootings of two police officers just after midnight Thursday morning in Ferguson, Missouri were inexcusable, President Barack Obama said Thursday night on
"Jimmy Kimmel Live."
It was Obama's first public comment on the incident that left two police officers injured.
"I think that what had been happening in Ferguson was oppressive and objectionable and was worthy of protest. But there was no excuse for criminal acts," Obama said. "And whoever fired those shots shouldn't detract from the issue. They're criminals, they need to be arrested."
Protesters showed up outside the Ferguson municipal building Wednesday night after Police Chief Thomas Jackson announced his resignation earlier in the day. The U.S. Justice Department issued a report earlier this month citing racism in the department, and said it unfairly targets blacks for minor traffic violations.
Shots rang out just after midnight, with one officer being shot in the face and one in the shoulder. Both have since been released from the hospital.
Attorney General Eric Holder also condemned the shootings, calling the perpetrator a "damn punk."
Obama told Kimmel that just as most police officers do a good job and act professionally, most protesters were acting peacefully and "had some very legitimate grievances."
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