Police confirm shooting at Ferguson protest

FERGUSON, Mo. -- St. Louis County Police say an officer who came under heavy gunfire returned shots amid a protest in Ferguson.

The department confirmed the shooting in a statement Sunday night, less than an hour after shots rang out as hundreds had gathered to mark the anniversary of the death of Michael Brown. The police department tweeted at least two unmarked cars were hit by gunfire.

It wasn't clear whether anyone was injured in the shooting, but minutes after the shots were heard, an Associated Press photographer saw a man lying face down, covered in blood, behind a boarded-up restaurant. It wasn't clear how badly the man was injured.

Later, an AP reporter saw a woman overcome with grief. Friends were consoling her. She screamed: "Why did they do it?" Another woman nearby fainted.

A man nearby said, "They killed my brother."

A demonstration along West Florissant Avenue in Ferguson, Missouri, was disrupted by gunfire.

The shots rang out just after 11:15 p.m. Sunday. It was unclear where the shots came from.

Protesters who had gathered in the street fled in several directions, hiding behind cars and taking cover in buildings.

A police helicopter appeared overhead, shining a spotlight down on the street. Dozens of police cars and an armored vehicle converged on the area.

St. Louis County Police posted on Twitter that multiple shots were fired and asked people to leave the area.

Sunday marks the one year anniversary of the death of 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson.