issued and tear gas was fired into the crowd. people scattered to the north on florenceson avenue and a short time later percussion grenades were deployed. police on foot and in vehicles chased the demonstrators from the area. violence followed a tuesday protest that ended peacefully and appeals from the police chief to clear the streets by nightfall. the latest incident happened a block from the spot where 18-year-old michael brown was shot to death by police on saturday. a killing that has prompted four nights of protests. jim ryan, abc news. the police chief in ferguson is refusing to name the officer who fired the shots which killed michael brown. the chief did reveal to abc news the officer sustained facial injuries in the incident. now to the humanitarian crisis in iraq. the pentagon says air strikes and air drops have broken the siege on that mountain where so many refugees have been stranded. that means that a rescue which could have involved u.s. ground troops has been put
where he slept, where he ate, and what he did to avoid getting busted. it s thursday, august 14th. happy thursday morning, surprising that no one in that walmart saw that kid camping out there. it will be interesting to find out all the details coming up later. that s right. more to come. serious news to get started. we begin with word from iraq that u.s. air strikes there have helped break a siege at mt. sinjar by militants. thousands of south dakotaies have been freed. air drops have also eased the crisis making a seventh delivery overnight to help remaining refugees. here s abc s karen travers in washington. reporter: it is now far less likely that the u.s. military will conduct any rescue and evacuation missions in northern iraq. the pentagon said wednesday night that there are far fewer refugees stranded on mt. sinjar than anticipated. secretary of defense chuck hagel
reporter: under cover of darkness, three air force cargo jets, escorted by f-18s, dropped pallets like these, loaded with thousands of gallons of water and meals ready to eat. with the isis threat out there, our crews will be in some danger by doing these air drops. reporter: those isis terrorists have surface-to-air missiles and a slew of firepower. they re threatening to take control of the largest electric dam in the country and are closing in on erbil. the kurdish capital has key american outposts with hundreds of military consultants and a consulate. i ve directed our military to take strikes against isil convoys should they move toward the city. reporter: the strikes have not begun. but u.s. commanders have a green light. if we go into air strikes, we re opening another chapter on a book the white house had hoped they had closed. reporter: the last u.s. troops pulled out of iraq in 2011. president obama says he does not plan to send combat troops back
really believes in the importance of the work they re doing at cgi. i think it is a very legitimate endeavor and one they feel is important for globe as a whole. unfortunately, we are out of time. thank you all so much for joining us this afternoon. shifting gears, for the first time firefighters are make progress on the most destructive wildfire in colorado history. lighter winds and a steady stream of air drops have kept the black forest fire outside colorado springs holding it 25 square miles. at least two people have been killed and nearly 380 homes have been destroyed. stay with us, we ll be right back.
as abc s nick watt reports, the danger is growing. reporter: the angeles national forest was packed with thousand of campers and hikers enjoying the holiday weekend. we just saw the smoke next to us and we started packing. reporter: the fire began 2:15 sunday, cause unknown. within hours, nearly 4,000 acres were ablaze. vacationers evacuated, and hundreds of firefighters drafted in from across the west. the fire is moving very, very fasted. we can see it coming down this hillside. look at the terrain. talking 80-degree inclines which makes it difficult for firefighters to get up to the flames and fight this fire. air drops are the best and in most places the only option. it is uphill, steep, rugged terrain. we re trying to get aircraft on this fire to slow its progress. reporter: the fire is moving towards populated areas. right now only 5% contained. what happens next depends largely on the wind. nick watt, abc news, the angeles