This was the deadliest event for law enforcement officials since 9/11, according to data from the National Law Enforcement Officers memorial fund.
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Except for the shooter, no one was killed in the June ambush.
They have been since at least last June, when a gunman sprayed Dallas police headquarters with bullets and planted several bombs around the building.
An Army veteran killed by Dallas police after he fatally shot five officers amassed a personal arsenal at his suburban home, including bomb-making materials, bulletproof vests, rifles, ammunition and a journal of combat tactics, authorities said Friday. Police said detectives were poring over the journal entries for more clues to his background and why he carried out the attack.
“The suspect said he was upset with white people and wanted to kill white people, especially white officers”, Brown said. Whether Johnson did work alone is unclear and not confirmed.
After graduation, Johnson joined the military and was attached to the 420th Engineer Brigade in Seagoville, Texas, serving from March 2009 to April 2015 and attained the rank of private first class. The Army says Johnson deployed to Afghanistan in November 2013 and returned in July 2014.
“We are saddened by the loss of the dedicated officers in Dallas, one of whom was a former member of this agency, and also the wounding of the other officers”, said Wayne County Sheriff Benny Napoleon.
He was believed to have shared a two-story tan brick home in Mesquite with family members.
Dallas Police Chief David Brown defended his department’s decision.
Scores of people gathered at Thanksgiving Square in downtown Dallas for a midday prayer service. He was the first DART officer killed in the line of duty since DART formed a police force in 1989, DART said in a statement. Snipers opened fire on police officers during protests; several officers were killed, police said. Seven officers were injured. Three other suspects have been arrested.
The White House announced Friday afternoon that Obama will visit Dallas early next week. It extends through sunset Tuesday. Indeed, despite the thick crowd, the gunman hit only two civilians.
Jeff Hood, one of the organizers of Thursday night’s protest, spoke with reporters at 11 a.m. Friday. We must ‘Rally The Troops!’ It is time to visit Louisiana and hold a barbeque. You and I know what we must do and I don’t mean marching, making a lot of noise, or attending conventions. We can not bring love through violence if we continue to turn to violence we are going to continue to see heartache and devastation.
“All I know is that this, this must stop – this divisiveness between our police and our citizens”, Brown added. She’s calling for peace and calm in the wake of the attack on the police officers, saying that violence is never the answer. “When there’s no other way, I think this is a good example”, he said. “I ask you to turn to each-other not against each-other as we move forward. Please help us find him!”
“The fact that everybody wants to have guns, I just don’t fully get it”.
“To our brothers and sisters who wear the badge – I want you to know that I am deeply grateful that the hard and risky work that you do every day – to keep our streets safe and our nation secure”, she said.
“We also know that when people are armed with powerful weapons, unfortunately it makes attacks like these more deadly and more tragic”.
Lynch says the spate of violence can’t be allowed to “precipitate a new normal”.
At a news conference Friday, Brown said Johnson told negotiators he had acted alone and was unaffiliated with any group.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is assisting in the investigation.
Dallas police were more aware than usual of their on-the-job risks even before five officers were slain while patrolling a Black Lives Matter protest on July 7.
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The scene was chaotic, with officers with automatic rifles on the street corners. Little or no training is required to fire such weapons and they are widely available. Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh called Black Lives Matter a “terrorist movement”, while U.S. Rep. Roger Williams, a Republican from Texas, said the “spread of misinformation and constant instigation by prominent leaders, including our president, have contributed to the modern day hostility we are witnessing between the police and those they serve”. In a letter posted online Friday, Abbott said “every life matters” and urged Texans to come together.
