Five cops shot dead by gunman who ‘wanted to kill whites’
The attack ended hours later when police used a robot carrying a bomb to kill the shooter
Police officers respond to the sniper attack in Dallas. PHOTO: REUTERS
DALLAS:
A gunman, who served in the US Army Reserve and said he was “upset at white people”, was part of an attack in which five Dallas police officers were killed and another seven were wounded, authorities said on Friday.
The attack ended hours later when police used a robot carrying a bomb to kill the shooter, the Dallas police chief said. The Thursday night killings, at the end of a protest over this week’s pair of fatal shootings of black men by police in Louisiana and Minnesota, fuelled a national debate over excessive police force.
The overnight attack raised fears that others would seek to retaliate against police. Authorities said that the gunman fired at least some of the shots in the attack but have not ruled out that other shooters were involved.
A US government source told Reuters the shooter was identified as Micah X Johnson, a member of the US Army Reserve. A string of killings of black men by police in cities including Ferguson, Missouri, New York, Baltimore and Chicago have given rise to the Black Lives Matter movement against excessive police force.
The killings have spurred almost two years of largely peaceful street protests. Thursday’s shooting sent protesters running in panic while swarms of police found themselves under attack by what they believed to be multiple gunmen using high-powered rifles at ground level and on rooftops.
During lengthy negotiations with police, the gunman said “the end is coming”, according to Dallas Police Chief David Brown. “He said he was upset about the recent police shootings, said Brown, who is black. “The suspect said he was upset at white people. The suspect stated that he wanted to kill white people, especially white officers.” Brown declined to say how many people took part in the attack.
“We’re going to keep these suspects guessing,” he told reporters at City Hall. Police said they were questioning two occupants of a Mercedes they had pulled over after seeing a man throwing a camouflage bag inside the back of the vehicle, which then sped off on a downtown street. A woman was also taken into custody near the garage where the standoff took place.
A Twitter account describing itself as representing the Black Lives Matter movement sent the message: “Black Lives Matter advocates dignity, justice and freedom. Not murder.” A total of 12 police officers and two civilians were shot during the attack, officials said. Three of the officers who were shot were women. One of the dead officers was identified as Brent Thompson, 43. He was the first officer killed in the line of duty since Dallas Area Rapid Transit formed a police department in 1989,
There was no sign of international links to the attacks, US officials said on Friday. Experts on extremist groups said such attacks are not necessarily carried out by an organisation and are often the work of individuals.
President Barack Obama, who was traveling in Poland, expressed his “deepest condolences” to Rawlings on behalf of the American people.
“We are horrified over these events and we are united with the people and police department in Dallas,” he said. Obama said the FBI was in contact with Dallas police and that the federal government would provide assistance.
“We still don’t know all of the facts. What we do know is that there has been a vicious, calculated and despicable attack on law enforcement,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 9th, 2016.
A gunman, who served in the US Army Reserve and said he was “upset at white people”, was part of an attack in which five Dallas police officers were killed and another seven were wounded, authorities said on Friday.
The attack ended hours later when police used a robot carrying a bomb to kill the shooter, the Dallas police chief said. The Thursday night killings, at the end of a protest over this week’s pair of fatal shootings of black men by police in Louisiana and Minnesota, fuelled a national debate over excessive police force.
The overnight attack raised fears that others would seek to retaliate against police. Authorities said that the gunman fired at least some of the shots in the attack but have not ruled out that other shooters were involved.
A US government source told Reuters the shooter was identified as Micah X Johnson, a member of the US Army Reserve. A string of killings of black men by police in cities including Ferguson, Missouri, New York, Baltimore and Chicago have given rise to the Black Lives Matter movement against excessive police force.
The killings have spurred almost two years of largely peaceful street protests. Thursday’s shooting sent protesters running in panic while swarms of police found themselves under attack by what they believed to be multiple gunmen using high-powered rifles at ground level and on rooftops.
During lengthy negotiations with police, the gunman said “the end is coming”, according to Dallas Police Chief David Brown. “He said he was upset about the recent police shootings, said Brown, who is black. “The suspect said he was upset at white people. The suspect stated that he wanted to kill white people, especially white officers.” Brown declined to say how many people took part in the attack.
“We’re going to keep these suspects guessing,” he told reporters at City Hall. Police said they were questioning two occupants of a Mercedes they had pulled over after seeing a man throwing a camouflage bag inside the back of the vehicle, which then sped off on a downtown street. A woman was also taken into custody near the garage where the standoff took place.
A Twitter account describing itself as representing the Black Lives Matter movement sent the message: “Black Lives Matter advocates dignity, justice and freedom. Not murder.” A total of 12 police officers and two civilians were shot during the attack, officials said. Three of the officers who were shot were women. One of the dead officers was identified as Brent Thompson, 43. He was the first officer killed in the line of duty since Dallas Area Rapid Transit formed a police department in 1989,
There was no sign of international links to the attacks, US officials said on Friday. Experts on extremist groups said such attacks are not necessarily carried out by an organisation and are often the work of individuals.
President Barack Obama, who was traveling in Poland, expressed his “deepest condolences” to Rawlings on behalf of the American people.
“We are horrified over these events and we are united with the people and police department in Dallas,” he said. Obama said the FBI was in contact with Dallas police and that the federal government would provide assistance.
“We still don’t know all of the facts. What we do know is that there has been a vicious, calculated and despicable attack on law enforcement,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 9th, 2016.