In a speech delivered from the White House on the shooting in Baton Rouge, Obama said that, though divisions exist in the country, everyone should now “focus on words and actions that can unite this country rather than divide it further”.
Advertisement
Both the LAPD and the LA Sheriff’s Department said despite the lack of a threat, they are remaining vigilant and ask the public to report anything unusual or suspicious to their local law enforcement. He also addressed how frustrating and heartbreaking the past few weeks had been for him not only as a police officer, but also as a black man.
PHOTOS: Baton Rouge police shootingThe attack began just before 9 a.m.at a gas station on Airline Highway.
President Obama released a statement following the news of attacks on police officers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, that said the attacks on law enforcement have to stop.
“For the second time in two weeks, police officers who put their lives on the line for ours every day were doing their job when they were killed in a cowardly and reprehensible assault”, Obama said in a statement.
After the shooting in Dallas on July 7, many Houston police officers asked to be paired up and Hunt said no captains denied their requests.
“It’s disgraceful that our society has gotten to the point where people are actually targeting the people that are there to protect us”, said Ron Bills, a Knoxville resident.
Each of the officers was married and had a family, East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff Sid Gautreaux said.
Mobile phone footage from Baton Rouge showed police cars arriving at a road intersection.
One of the officers is listed as critical and another in fair condition.
Earlier Sunday, six police officers were shot in what the Baton Rouge mayor called an “ambush attack” from a lone assailant.
The suspect, described by a USA government official as having served in the Marine Corps, was himself shot to death minutes later in a gunfight with police who converged on the scene. “It is just an injustice in and of itself”.
“This is an unspeakable and unjustified attack on all of us at a time when we need unity and healing”, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said.
But he also told local media the “rhetoric from some people” after the death of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge may be connected to the shootings, without elaborating who.
“To me this is not so much about gun control as it is about what’s in men’s hearts”, said Gautreaux.
The shooting happened early Sunday, less than 1 mile from police headquarters.
Another wounded deputy and police officer have non-life-threatening wounds, law officers said.
Advertisement
A screenshot of the image has been widely circulating on the internet but is no longer on Mr Jackson’s Facebook page.
