right now on first look breaking news hours after the chief of police stepped down two police officers were shot during a protest outside the police department. we've got new information. then a new black eye for the secret service including an agent assigned to president obama's security detail. and the latest information on the black hawk that crashed this thick fog. 11 service members are presumed dead. >> good morning. we begin with breaking news out of ferguson, missouri. two officers have been injured outside the police department. one of the officers was shot in the face. the other was shot in the shoulder. at this point it's unclear who shot the officers. the incident unfolded in st.

louis county police department offices were confronting protesters shortly after midnight. it took place hours after the resignation of the police chief. ksdk affiliate has more. >> we know the two officers work for who were shot just after midnight early this morning. to set is scene a little bit there was demonstrations throughout the night last night and early into this morning. they were still here on the scene outside the ferguson police department. police were in their full gear working the scene protecting the perimeter of the police department. we're told there were a couple of arrests, a couple of tense moments back and forth but at the same time relatively speaking people who were here say things seemed calm when at least three shots rang out.

that's according to st. louis police. there was a 41-year-old, 14 year veteran of the police department and a 32 five year veteran. both officers were county. the county officer was hit in the shoulder and the other in the face. both have been take ton barns. conditions have not been released except to say that the chief says they are conscious and that their families are there with them. we were able to speak to the chief just a little bit ago. he told us why he believes these were shots that were intended for the police officers here outside the ferguson police department. >> i would have to make an assumption right now that based on the fact that these officers were standing together and there were several officers standing right there together when this happened, that these were shots that were parallel to the ground not up in the air.

they weren't skipped shots and i would have to make assumption that these were directed directly at my police officers. >> reporter: bob han was on the scene at the time and he tells us what he said matched what the police chief said. they came from across the street from the police department up a hill here. there's an area where protest demonstrations have been staged for months now. it was up the hill where our photo journalist saw what he believes was the flash of a gun, perhaps more than one. that's where the chief says they came from as well but no suspects at least publicly have been described by police. photo journalist says when the shots were fired officers did go up the hill into the residential neighborhood here across the street from the ferguson police department. again, the breaking news here in ferguson just after midnight

tonight. two officers hit. one a county officer, 41-year-old officer hit in the shoulder with gunfire and a webster groves officer here working detail. 32-year-old hit in the face with gunfire. again, their conditions at this time are not officially -- have not officially been released but we know their families are with them at the hospital. >> we have now on the phone a retired atf special agent in charge. good morning to you, jim. this was a peaceful demonstration turned violent. in how are we going to figure the scene? ferguson. >> we have to have help from the local citizens. they have to help police to find the shooter. a person or persons shooting at officers like that it not only dangers the police but the lawful protesters witnesses, journalists on the scenes who

are dodging the bullets as well. the danger the situation needs to be brought to justice. we need to find out who did it from the witnesses at the scene. >> how much at stake does this put the police officers? the reporter said it looked like it was an intentional shooting for the police officers. they had their gear and were not anticipating any kind of violence but what does this do to change the scene out there? >> well, the response from the officers once the shots were fired at them i think was very professional. if you look at what happened they did not fire back into the darkness. they did not unleash a barrage of gunfire. they took cover and got their long guns and changed some of their gear and moved slowly up the hill to try to get to the scene. the person would have fled

unless they wanted to shoot it out. so the person or persons fled. now they're in an investigative mode and in a healing mode because they have two officers, one webster grove officer and one st. louis county officer wounded with their families and colleagues. that's tough on the departments too, and the whole county police law enforcement community to have officers shot like this. that hurts everybody, but it was a professional response to it. they're clearly trying to find out who did it and that's for the protection of everyone. the citizens need to throw in and help them find out who's responsible for there. >> is there anything that could have been done differently to prevent this. >> it's hard to say. the police are out there. they're in uniform. everybody knows who they are. the situation there, they're standing there. they're back lit by the police head quarters street lights. they're just simply shot because

they're police officers. and that's no place in a protest with concern and arguments the protesters are making. the shooters are different. they have no legitimate concern. they need to be brought to the bar of justice. that's a totally wrong to shoot officers like that. i hope we're getting some kind of a tip and get those people apprehended quickly. >> thank you very much and we appreciate your time. and to yet another potential embarrassment for the people charged with protecting the president. this time we're learning about secret service agents allegedly drinking at a retirement party and crashing a car on white house grounds. tracie potts is live with us this morning. what do we know so far about these agents. >> we understand they've both

been reassigned while the investigation gets underway. the new director of the secret service brought in to clean up the image is asking the inspector general and homeland to investigate. we've confirmed the two agents being investigated are second in charge of the president's security detail. "the washington post" first reported last week they used flashing lights and the government car to get onto white house grounds where officers were checking a package and hit a barrier after drinking at a retirement party. the paper says officers wanted to conduct a sobriety test and arrest them but a supervisor ordered they be sent them. >> we may never know if they were sober or not because the supervisor let them go. >> reporter: it's the kind of problem he was brought in to fix. the top republican and democrat

calls us embarrassing and potentially dangerous. they question where the secret service has done enough to fix its problems. >> repor isn't saying a lot. in a statement they said they're aware of what's happened. they've called for the investigation and they're not going to say more until it's over. >> thanks so much tracy. a sad search presses on along the florida coast. last night a vigil was held for the 11 military members for a helicopter that crashed. officials say they are presumed dead. crews have already found debris including a piece of landing gear and what appears to be a window from the downed aircraft. senior military officials say they are also recovered most of the human remains. the president vowed an investigation. let's get down to business with landon dowdy.

>>. >> reporter: >> reporter:. the average wall street bonus raised last year. even as profits fell. bonuses rose 2%. wall street firms added jobs but the industry is still smaller than it was before the financial crisis. apple's i tunes and app store are back online. they blame the outage on an internal glitch. users vented their frustration. and march madness is a productivity killer for companies. a reports estimates distracted workers could cost wages as people fill out their brackets in the office and many games will be on during the day. office cools. >> thanks so much. >> just ahead a new developments in the controversy over hillary

clinton's use of private e-mail. and later the nypd investigates a brutal beating as a mcdonalds.

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first look on moipz. the worst weather in the country is down along the texas coastline. thunderstorms all light long in the suburbs east of houston. this heavy rain is going to move east. a good soaking rain with the potential of flooding rains out of this. the worst of it as we go throughout the day today will move toward new orleans. if you're traveling around louisiana, you will have trouble and along the ohio river is where the flooding thread is and flood watches are covering western kentucky all the way down the mississippi river through the new orleans area. the yellow is 1 inch.

orange around 2 inches. the snow melt and the rain a couple days ago and now this rain on top of it. a lot of rivers are going to be up into flood stage. in at this point not major but still problems. nice in the west. getting very warm. l.a. 87 and new england a little chilly. unfortunately, new england may especially northern new england may get snow sunday. not everyone is done with winter, but in florn new england, you know that. >> yes, and it's still to be expected through easter and then the snow boots go away. now more new protests over the fraternity members at the university of oklahoma chanting racial slurs, this time in front of the dallas home of one of the people in the video. next generation network peacefully protested in front of parker rice's home last night.

rice apologized on tuesday but one protester only identified as mall ri said rice shouldn't hide behind that. >> you were man enough to chant hateful words. step out from behind the door and acknowledge that you've done and apologize for the pain you've caused this community. >> the rice family hasn't been seen at home since the video surfaced. in the controversy over hillary clinton's use of private e-mails, a new report from the state department inspector general says the most important e-mails were not properly archived. the report says when clinton officer failed to preserve thousands of key policy e-mails. >> state department just wasn't saving its e-mails not. not mrs. client's e-mails or other people's for the foreign policy. the report found that some weren't saved because employees

did not receive adequate training and some employees deliberately avoided creating computerized records that could be serged later. >> a serious accident? alabama yesterday. six people were inside brent industries when the explosion occurred. one employee was killed while several others were injured from chemical burns. black smoke could be seen in the surrounding areas while firefighters battled the fires. when we come tobacco latestback the latest on a shooting in ferguson, missouri. (everyone) cheers! glad you made it buddy. thanks for inviting me. thanks again my friends. for everything for all your help. through all life's milestones our trusted advisors are with you every step of the way. congratulations! thanks for helping me plan for my retirement.

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only touch of gray uses oxygen to gently blend away some gray but not all for that perfect salt and pepper look. satisfaction guaranteed. just you and the look you want. just for men touch of gray we want to bring you up to date on the breaking news in ferguson missouri. two police officers were shot outside the police officers in ferguson. it happened as police and protesters gathered outside the station. our local affiliate reports one officer was shot in the face and the other shot in the shoulder. no word on extent of their injuries. in washington i'm joinded by. we have a lot to talk about. just hours after this ferguson police chief stepped down a protest, multiple shots fired wounding two police officers. this is on the heals of the

justice department report. >> i think what this illustrates is just the volatility of the situation, not just in ferguson but around the country, and the charges that oftentimes police are heavy-handed to put it mildly and sometimes very racist. that is certainly the charge reinforced by the justice department report about the goings on in ferguson. it is a dangerous situation. obviously some people have overreacted to the point of criminal conduct and violence and that is not going to solve a thing. >> how much do you think the doj can step in. >> the department of justice does have the ability to sue ferguson and in effect take over the police department. i think it's worded a little bit differently than that but what we're seeing in ferguson with the resignation of the police chief and others is some effort to try and smooth things over and perhaps bring a sense of

calm to ferguson missouri but obviously as we're seeing with the violence there are some people with other motivations. >> also more details on the white house grounds. one of the agents on presidential duty. what is going on with this agency? >> well i think that maybe they want to reconsider having good biparties. they were going to have one for the long time ed don mand and then they took a government car and crashed into the barrier at the white house whch right now the secret service just can't cut a break. >> do you think they'll be able to do anything and possibly restructure the agency. >> they're in the process of doing that. they recently came up with a new director. in he is somebody who has a long secret service history. and the advisory board recommended they bring in somebody from the outside. and i think that this may maybe put more pressure on for more immediate reform.

>> we know there have been a lot of changes on the agency but going forward, what can they do to keep this agency intact? >> the agency is going to stay in intact. the question is -- part of the reason it is able to be successful is that in effect it intimidates anybody who is perceived as a threat. i'm talking about presidential protection, that kind of thing, and what this has done is undermined that sort of super human view that people have of the secret service and i think that's the first thing they have to try and recovery. >> it sounds like they have to build back their reputation. thank you for your time. >> just ahead sad news about people in the gab rel gifrt shooting. and that's not a toddler. more on this stylish pooch coming up next. help promote heart health. experience the meta effect with our multi-health wellness line.

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following today. bill badger tied from a pneumonia complications this morning. in he was at the rally for gabrielle giffords. despite being grazed in the head by a bullet he held the shooter in a choke hold. he reacted on twitter today saying saddened by the passing of bill badger. a hero who ran toward danger. he was 68. >> texas executed a mafia hitman last night with the second to last dose of. the state has only enough drug

for one more execution. the nypd is investigating after video on facebook showing a group of girls punching and kicking another girl inside a mcdonald's. the brawl happened monday afternoon. the video shows four girls kicking another teen wearing a blue shirt while people shout in the background. and the most powerful rocket booster ever built was fired up wednesday. it's in preparation for future missions to help propel nasa's space launch system rocket. destinations including an asteroid and mars. >> the poodle in southwest china walks on two legs and likes to dress up in a skirt, blouse and backpack. the owner trained dogs and says he spent about two months

training this little guy. that is the cutest thing. >> what's more impressive walking that for a two legs or wearing a skirt. >> i think it's the outfit. "way too early" starts right now. there was a grown of police officers up there from different agencies assisting ferguson and the night was uneventful until midnight. several of the officers had left the area and to the immediate north, northwest of the police department several shots were fired, at least three, and two officers were struck. in other words the police officers were standing there, and they were shot. just because they were police officers. >> good morning. it's thursday march 12th.

welcome to "way too early." we are following breaking news this morning out of ferguson missouri where just hours after the city's police chief resigned, two police officers were shot during protests outside the ferguson police department. the officers were taken to a nearby hospital with their conditions still unknown. they're not identified at this point but some information is being provided. one is a 41-year-old st. louis county police officers who a veteran and the other is 32 years old from webster groves police department who's been with the department for five years. we want to bring in as much information as we can. we begin with nbc producer on the scene all night. jennifer, describe for us what you saw and what you know at this point. >> reporter: well chief bell mar describe i would echo. the protest has been going on since a little after eight and