A police officer was shot on Saturday in the area around the strife-hit U.S. city of Ferguson, Missouri, but his injuries were not life-threatening, the Missouri Department of Public Safety said.

"A search is under way for the suspect in the shooting of the officer," it said, adding the incident took place at a community center slightly removed from main protest areas.

Missouri broadcaster KSDK said the officer was shot in the arm.

Ferguson, a St. Louis suburb, saw days of racially charged protests after black teenager Michael Brown was shot dead by white police officer Darren Wilson on Aug. 9.

On Thursday, Ferguson police chief Tom Jackson issued a video apology to Brown's parents following weeks of heavy criticism and calls for his ouster.

The apology was not well-received among some and led to reported protests hours after it was issued.

There have been bursts of violence during weeks of protests in Ferguson, a mostly black community of 21,000, since Brown's death. Many have called for Jackson to be fired for what they saw as a heavy-handed response in the aftermath of the killing.