CNN anchor hit on the head by a ROCK during live broadcast from Ferguson, while colleagues choke on tear gas and an MSNBC reporter is forced off air by gunfire 

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News anchors found themselves uncomfortably close to the action during live broadcasts of rioting in Ferguson, Missouri last night, as a CNN reporter was filmed being struck on the head with a rock, two of her colleagues choked on tear gas, and an MSNBC anchor was forced off air by gunfire.

While reporting on the angry crowds outside a burning car dealership on Florissant Avenue, CNN's Sara Sidner managed to keep composed despite being struck by a projectile thrown from behind.

Meanwhile her colleagues Don Lemon and Chris Cuomo were also both reporting on the protests when a tear gas canister was fired or lobbed into the crowd they were standing with.

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Attack: While reporting on the angry crowds outside a burning car dealership on Florrissant Avenue, CNN's Sara Sidner managed to keep composed despite being struck by a projectile thrown from behind

Pain: Sidner, 42, was reporting from outside a burning car dealership in downtown Ferguson when a large rock was thrown from behind her, striking her in the head with a sickening thump

Calm: Pausing only briefly, she quickly regains her composure, telling studio-based Jake Tapper 'Sorry, I just got hit by a rock'

As Lemon ducked and looked prepared to flee, Cuomo was handed the microphone and continued the report.

Lemon later reappeared on camera wearing a gas mask over his face, but was unable to continue reporting and was heard asking for water  

A short time later MSNBC anchor Chris Hayes was forced to cut short a live broadcast and run for cover as gunshots rung out around him. 

Ferguson descended into lawlessness, chaos and fire overnight after a grand jury decided not to prosecute police Officer Darren Wilson over the fatal shooting of unarmed teenager Michael Brown.

Sidner, 42, was reporting from outside a burning car dealership in downtown Ferguson when a large rock was thrown from behind her, striking her in the head with a sickening thump.

Pausing only briefly, she quickly regains her composure, telling studio-based Jake Tapper 'Sorry, I just got hit by a rock.' 

Under attack: Don Lemon was reporting from the scene in Ferguson for CNN when police fired tear gas on the crowd 

Protected: Don Lemon appeared on camera wearing a gas mask but was unable to continue reporting 

Holding her head in her hand, she continues her report before going on to add: 'I'm OK, I'm OK. I've been hit with much worse in my day.'

Earlier CNN anchors Don Lemon and Chris Cuomo were seen choking and coughing as they were apparently caught in a cloud of tear gas.

Even as their reporters started to suffer the affects of the substance, CNN kept the line 'Smoke bombs fired by police' in the news ticker.

Amid the melee, Cuomo sent a tweet to his supporters describing the situation on the ground: '#Ferguson we are relocating. We were not ready for gas. Gunfire in spurts here. Some fires. All ok from what I see.'  

Tear gas is a chemical agent that causes irritation to the eyes, mouth, throat, lungs, and skin according to the Centers for Disease Control, often experienced as a burning sensation.

Threat: MSNBC's Chris Hayes was standing on West Florrissant reporting of firefighters finally arriving at the burning Sam's Meat Market when the chilling sound of gunfire broke out

Flee: A voice off camera quickly tells him to cut short his report, which he does - hastily running off camera as multiple rounds of what sound like automatic weapons are heard in the background

St Louis County Police Department tweeted at 10:21 PM that there was no tear gas being used at the time.

'Police are not deploying tear gas. They are using #smoke to break up unruly crowds. 

CNN correspondent Anthony 'Van' Jones later tweeted, 'Crowd tried to get woman who succumbed to the police for help - they all got pounded with tear gas and flash bangs.' 

A short time later, MSNBC's Chris Hayes was standing on West Florrissant reporting of firefighters finally arriving at the burning Sam's Meat Market when the chilling sound of gunfire broke out, Mediaite reported.

A voice off camera quickly tells him to cut short his report, which he does - hastily running off camera as multiple rounds of what sound like automatic weapons are heard in the background.

Hayes retreated from the scene and sought cover in a safer location further along the road while MSNBC temporarily cut back to studio reporting. 

Confrontation: Fox News reporter Steve Harrigan was also got to experience first-hand the crowd's hostility towards the press while reporting on looting at a liquor store 

Masked: A protester in a Guy Fawkes mask attacked Harrigan's camera, forcing him off the air for a few minutes

Fox News reporter Steve Harrigan was also got to experience first-hand the crowd's hostility towards the press when a protester in a Guy Fawkes mask attacked his camera, forcing him off the air for a few minutes.

Harrigan was reporting on looting at a liquor store at around 8pm Central time when the masked man came up to the correspondent and with the words, 'Hey man, f*** you,' knocked the camera to the ground.

The Fox reporter was forced to apologize to his viewers for the use of foul language, explaining that this is what happens on live TV.

Harrigan was back on air 10 minutes later, saying that 'the only casualty was the camera.' He continued filming the looting with his iPhone, reportedDeadline.com. 

Elsewhere a BBC report of the violence was interrupted when anchor Aleem Maqbool coughed and spluttered, apparently due to tear gas.

Although the incident was not directly filmed, it could be heard. Maqbool claimed to be somewhere among a large crowd of protesters as a cloud of tear gas swept over them.

Smoke?: Chris Cuomo kept reporting as he choked on tear gas that had been lobbed at a crowd of people near the CNN crew

Gassed: Canisters of tear gas were lobbed or fired into the crowd, causing Don Lemon to duck out and hand the microphone off to Cuomo

Violence flared after the decision ot to prosecute police Officer Darren Wilson was announced by St Louis County Prosecutor Robert McCulloch at around 8:25pm last night. The rioting continued throughout the evening and into this morning.

President Barack Obama and the family of Michael Brown asked for calm. 

As Obama spoke live from the White House briefing room, television networks showed him on one side of the screen, and violent demonstrations in Ferguson on the other.

Angry crowds took to the streets around the Ferguson Police headquarters after the grand jury determined there was no probable cause to charge Wilson with any crime for the shooting of 18-year-old Brown this past summer.

St Louis police reported heavy gunfire late yesterday in the area near where Brown was shot and killed on August 9 and more than a dozen local businesses were razed to the ground by arsonists.

So far there have been 29 arrests, 13 injuries – and no fatalities, with police saying they have not fired any shots.

Smokescreen: As protesters and reporters confirmed that tear gas was being used, the St Louis County Police Department tweeted that police were using 'smoke'

The Federal Aviation Administration issued temporary flight restrictions for the city. After three months of waiting for the controversial verdict, Brown's mother, Lesley McSpadden, collapsed in grief as it was announced, screaming 'This is wrong!'

The victim's stepfather screamed 'Burn this b**** down'. Meanwhile, Wilson's attorneys issued a statement in which he thanked 'those who have stood by his side throughout the process'.

Within minutes of the announcement by the county's top prosecutor, crowds began pouring into Ferguson streets to protest the decision. Some taunted police, shattered windows and vandalized cars. Several gunshots were also heard. Officers released tear gas and pepper spray to disperse the gatherings.

Prosecuting Attorney McCulloch said the jury of nine whites and three black jury members met on 25 separate days and heard more than 70 hours of testimony from about 60 witnesses, including three medical examiners and other experts on blood, toxicology and firearms.

He stressed that jurors were 'the only people who heard every witness ... and every piece of evidence'. He said many witnesses presented conflicting statements that were inconsistent with the physical evidence. 'These grand jurors poured their hearts and soul into this process,' he said.