Washington, Sep 24 (IANS): Two police officers were shot and injured as thousands staged a protest in the US state of Kentucky, authorities said, adding that a suspect has been detained.

The shooting took place in the city of Louisville at around 8.30 p.m. after the polce were notified of a large crowd gathering near South Brook and East College streets, the city-based WLKY TV station said in a news report.

In the latest update late Wednesday night, Interim police chief Rob Schroeder said that officers were then deployed to the area to investigate reports of shots fired.

Schroeder said when the officers arrived to the area of South First and East Broadway, shots rang out and two of the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) officers were injured.

Schroeder said one of the officers is in stable condition while the other was undergoing surgery, but was also stable.

The police chief did not release additional details about the suspect who was arrested.

Names of the officers or the suspect have not been released.

A state of emergency has been declared in Louisville and the National Guard have also been deployed.

Mayor Greg Fischer has set a curfew in the city for three day.

The incident comes in the wake of after a grand jury verdict decided that no-one would be charged with the death of Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old African-American hospital worker, who was shot multiple times as officers stormed her home on March 13, reports the BBC.

One officer, Brett Hankison has been charged, not with Taylor's death, but with "wanton endangerment" for firing into a neighbour's apartment in Louisville.

Two others face no charges.