Edwards praised law officers who put their lives on the line Sunday, including the officers killed. One of the officers killed Sunday, Jackson, was black, and the other two were white.
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Chicago police are on high alert and taking extra measures to protect officers here at home after the shooting of six police officers, three fatally, in Baton Rouge, La.
Chuck Canterbury, president of the Fraternal Order of Police, welcomed Obama’s letter and said law enforcement can not be held responsible for such issues as poverty, unemployment or lack of mental health services, a point the president touched on in the letter. “These are trying times”. Before he was killed at the scene, he murdered officers Jackson, 41-year-old Matthew Gerald, and 45-year-old sheriff’s deputy Brad Garafola.
Hundreds of mourners held a candlelight vigil on Monday evening at a church in south Baton Rouge in memory of Gerald, a rookie on the police force who had served in both the U.S. Army and the Marines.
The former Iraq war Marine sergeant managed to wound three other officers before being shot dead by police, according to authorities.
Faith and community leaders, black and white, also gathered at a Baton Rouge church Tuesday to discuss ways to improve police relations with black residents. On July 7, another former USA serviceman espousing militant black nationalist views killed five Dallas officers.
Baton Rouge, the capital city of Louisiana, rose to nationwide attention in the last few days for all the wrong reasons.
“How many police funerals must occur before the American public finally says ‘enough is enough?’ Those involved in recent protests against the police should look at what happened today in Louisiana and immediately and vehemently condemn these cold-blooded murders”.
“Unless relationships are established, there will be no changes. He’s not connected as we found thus far to any of the groups protesting”, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross said. Lee Wesley, who is black.
Even police in smaller communities said their officers feel the same added stress. He hopes to bring “people from on the streets and on the corner” into the discussion. One of the three officers wounded has been released from a hospital.
LSU spokesman Michael Bonnette confirmed the visits with authorities after the coach was seen entering police headquarters, where he spent more than an hour, by The Associated Press.
Hosea Jackson told ABC News he “had a great loss losing Montrell”, who “died doing what he loved – police work”.
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President Barack Obama on Monday ordered all flags on federal buildings to be flown at half-mast.
