“This suspect had been practicing explosive detonations and the materials were such that they were large enough to have devastating effects throughout our city”, Brown said.
Advertisement
Parents of the ex-Army reservist who fatally shot five officers during protests in Dallas last Thursday said the 25-year-old came home a changed man after serving six years in the military.
“I was scared. I really didn’t know what was going to happen”, a sobbing Jamar said.
Officers also found cryptic messages written in what they believe to be Johnson’s blood, scrawled on the walls of the parking garage where the shooter was hiding out – and was ultimately killed – during the standoff.
“You have to trust your people to make the calls… to save their lives”.
Jasen Frelot, left, holding his daughter Ruby, gives a pat to Seattle police officer Daniel Aguirre after handing the officer a rose in response to the shootings of police officers in Dallas, Friday, July 8, 2016, in Seattle.
Police say Johnson wrote the letters “R.B.” on a wall in blood during the standoff.
Brown revealed that as police tried to negotiate with Johnson, he refused to cooperate or take the officers seriously, ultimately leading to the decision to kill Johnson using a robot bomb.
Brown said 13 officers used force against the suspect – 11 officers used their firearms and 2 officers who used the explosive device.
According to a court filing Glendening read to the AP, the victim said she wanted Johnson to “receive mental help” and sought a protective order to keep him away from her and her family, wherever they went. Police said they used a shotgun to get through a locked door during the search.
After the incident, officials said that it appeared that Johnson, who had no criminal history, had acted alone and had no links to any worldwide terrorist organization.
He was a member of the US Army Reserve from 2009 to 2015 who had served in Afghanistan.
The writing suggested that Johnson was wounded in a shootout with police.
President Barack Obama urged Americans on Saturday not to see the country as being riven into opposing groups, seeking to soothe raw emotions after an attack that killed five policemen in Dallas and the high-profile police shootings of two black men in Minnesota and Louisiana.
Investigators said Johnson kept a journal of combat tactics and had a personal weapons arsenal at home, which included bomb-making materials, ammunition and rifles.
Advertisement
“This wasn’t an ethical dilemma for me”, Brown said. Seven more were wounded that night in the line of duty.
