Did police in Ferguson , Missouri , deliberately fire tear gas and rubber bullets at a television news crew Wednesday night ? Photos and videos from the Al Jazeera America camera crew were widely shared in the wake of Wednesday 's incident , which Al Jazeera called an `` egregious assault on freedom of the press that was clearly intended to have a chilling effect on our ability to cover this important story . '' The images showed a tear gas canister exploding close to the Al Jazeera correspondent Ash-har Quraishi , who tried to shield himself from the smoke . Was it intentional ? Quraishi 's crew members seem to think so . `` We were clearly set up as press with a full live shot set-up , '' producer Marla Cichowski said in an e-mail , responding to questions from CNN . `` As soon as ( the ) first bullet hit the car , we screamed out loud , 'We are press , ' 'This is the media . ' '' Cichowski said there 's no way to know who ordered police to shoot in their direction . `` But they shined a huge floodlight at us before firing , and I can only imagine they could see what they were shooting at . '' Sam Winslade , the videographer , said in another e-mail message that `` we were fired at from a police MRAP vehicle . '' MRAP is shorthand for a Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle , something usually associated with war zones . The crew left their equipment where it was , and moved on foot to what they thought was a safer location . `` We sought shelter between houses , '' Winslade said , and then they called 911 and Al Jazeera 's New York assignment desk . A little bit later , another MRAP vehicle approached the area where the crew was seeking shelter . `` We ( a group of three ) yelled out to the MRAP ( that ) we were press and we approached vehicle with hands visible , '' Winslade said . `` They opened the back of the vehicle and ordered us inside . Whilst the doors were open and we were outside -- I do recall seeing 'SWAT type ' firearms pointed at us . We were helped aboard , and taken back to our vehicle . '' On the way back , Winslade added , they passed what he believes was the MRAP vehicle that shot at them on their way out of the area . Heightening the confusion , the crew members did not know which police force fired the tear gas and rubber bullets , nor which police force picked them up and drove them back to their vehicle . On Thursday morning , a representative of the St. Charles County Sheriff 's Department told The Wrap that its SWAT team did not fire the tear gas , but did pick up the crew later . Ferguson Mayor Jay Knowles told CNN Thursday that the St. Louis County police have been `` in charge tactically since Sunday . '' Another camera crew nearby , from the local television station and CNN affiliate KSDK , recorded what happened to the Al Jazeera crew . By Thursday morning , its pictures were being broadcast on CNN and other networks . The KSDK video showed police officers placing Al Jazeera 's lights and other equipment on the ground . But something happened in between the tear-gassing and the police interference with the equipment , Winslade said : Local residents came over to the camera position and `` played with the camera on the tripod . '' Nothing was damaged , but Winslade 's account suggests that the police action might have been intended to deter residents from damaging the expensive equipment . Al Jazeera America , an offshoot of the Qatar-based international news network that recently marked its one-year anniversary , said in a statement that `` thankfully all three crew members are physically fine . '' `` We believe that this situation must be investigated along with those involving our colleagues at other media outlets , '' the network added . Two reporters were arrested at a McDonald 's restaurant near the site of a protest on Wednesday . Complete coverage on the Ferguson shooting and protests .
The Al Jazeera crew said they identified themselves as journalists . A videographer says tear gas , rubber bullets were fired from an armored vehicle . Crew says police actions with TV equipment may have been effort to protect it .