A black US military veteran of the Afghan war who said he wanted to “kill white people” acted alone in a sniper attack that killed five police officers during a Dallas protest decrying police shootings of black men, officials said on Friday.
Seven other police officers and two civilians were wounded in the ambush in downtown Dallas on Thursday night, officials said. Police killed the gunman, identified by authorities as 25-year-old Micah Johnson, with a bomb-carrying robot after cornering him in a parking garage, ending an hours-long standoff.
Meanwhile, protesters in Chicago, New York, and St Paul, Minnesota peacefully took to the streets to express outrage after the second fatal police shooting of a black man in the US in two days.
Protesters were condemning the shooting of 32-year-old Philando Castile by police near St Paul late on Wednesday.
And the shooting of 37-year-old Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Sterling was killed during an altercation with two white police officers.
Graphic videos of their killings had caused an outcry on social media. Castile’s girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds videotaped the minutes immediately following his shooting and posted it on Facebook Live.
Would this have happened if the driver and the passengers were white? I don’t think it would have. So I’m forced to confront that this kind of racism exists, and it’s incumbent upon all of us to vow and ensure that it doesn’t happen and doesn’t continue to happen.Mark Dayton, Governor, Minnesota
Snipers’ Assault on Police Officers
David Brown, Chief of Dallas Police said in a statement that five officers are deceased. “An intensive search” for suspects is currently underway, the statement said.
Three suspects, including a woman, have now been taken in custody. The fourth suspect shot himself dead while negotiating with the police and firing at them.
Another recording of the harrowing events has emerged:
Suspects Claim To Have Planted Bombs
A suspicious package was also discovered, which is now being secured by the Dallas Police Department’s bomb-squad, tweeted the Dallas Police.
Later, in a Periscope live on Twitter, Dallas Police Department went on to state that the suspects claim to have planted bombs at different locations and, therefore, the police is being extra careful.
Three suspects have been taken in custody while a fourth suspect took his own life, while exchanging fire with the police.
Obama Condemns “Despicable Attack on Law Enforcement”
President Barack Obama, while in Poland, said he had spoken to Rawlings and expressed his “deepest condolences” on behalf of the American people.
I believe I speak for every single American when I say that we are horrified over these events and we are united with the people and police department in Dallas. We still do not know all of the facts. What we do know is that there has been a vicious, calculated and despicable attack on law enforcement.US President Barack Obama
Obama said the FBI was in contact with the Dallas Police Department and that the federal government would provide any assistance to Dallas as it deals with the incident.
The use of force by police against African-Americans in recent time has spawned a movement called ‘Black Lives Matter’. The anger has intensified over the months as officers involved in such incidents have been acquitted in trial or not charged at all.
Also See: Disturbing FB Live Video of Black Man Killed by Cops in US Emerges
Officer Put on Leave
The Hennepin County Medical Examiner said that Castile died from multiple gun shot wounds – and his death was a homicide.
The officer involved had been placed on paid administrative leave, as is standard procedure for Falcon Heights. Minnesota officials declined in a Thursday afternoon news conference to identify the officer who shot Castile, saying it would do so after they completed interviewing him.
We know that people are angry, discouraged and heartbroken. We support an open, thorough and objective investigation that we believe, in time, will provide the answers to the questions we all have.Sean Gormley, Executive Director, Law Enforcement Labor Services
The Washington Post said Castile was at least the 506th person and 123rd black American shot and killed by police so far in 2016, according to a database it has set up to track such deaths.
(With AP, Reuters inputs)
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