Jimmy Bernhard

KSDK-TV

FERGUSON, Mo. — A manhunt was underway Sunday for the man who shot a Ferguson police officer in the arm Saturday night.

The shooting occurred while the male officer was performing a routine check at the Ferguson Community Center, police said.

St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar initially said two suspects were sought, but later indicated there was only one assailant.

Ferguson made international news last month when a white police officer fatally shot a black teen who some witnesses said was attempting to surrender. Belmar said Saturday night's shooting took place around the same time that two separate protests of Michael Brown's death were taking place, but Belmar said the shooting appeared unrelated to the protests.

Around midnight at the Ferguson police station, approximately two dozen officers stood near a group of about 100 protesters who mingled on a street corner, occasionally shouting, "No justice; no peace."

The St. Louis County Police Department's Crimes Against Persons Units was leading the investigation.

The officer witnessed a male suspect in the rear of the building, county police said in a statement. When the officer stepped out of his patrol car the suspect fled, and the officer then pursued the suspect on foot.

The suspect, armed with a handgun, fired multiple rounds at the officer during the pursuit. The officer returned fire but there is no indication that the suspect was struck, police said.

Ferguson police spokesman Tim Zoll said the officer was shot in the arm and transported to Barnes Jewish Hospital with injuries that were not life threatening. The officer was released from the hospital Sunday.

The suspect was last seen running into a wooded area behind the community center. The Ferguson Police Department, along with several neighboring departments, searched the area for about 90 minutes but failed to find the suspect.

The suspect, described as a black male with dreadlocks, 5-11, wearing a dark shirt and dark pants, was still at large.

Also, a shooting early Sunday morning of an off-duty police officer, prompted the closure of westbound Interstate 70. The St. Louis city police officer's car was hit during a drive-by.

The officer was driving his personal vehicle on westbound I-70 when another vehicle with three black males pulled up next to him and started firing.

The officer's vehicle was struck multiple times, but it does not appear that the officer was struck by a bullet.

Schron Jackson with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department said that the 48-year-old male officer, who has nearly 20 years of experience, suffered a minor injury to his arm from broken glass. He was transported to a local hospital for treatment.

Jackson said there was no reason to believe the two shootings were related.

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon expressed sympathy for the injured officers in a conference call Sunday from Afghanistan with reporters from Missouri. He described the violence as "a challenge for everyone."

Contributing: John Bacon, USA TODAY; The Associated Press