Five police officers have been killed in Dallas with a further seven injured. This followed mass protests that have been taking place following the fatal shooting of two black men, Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, by police.
12 July 2016
Protesters with Shut it Down NYC explained the situation that led to the arrest of four participants and the pepper spraying of five others.
Peter Soeller told RT that they began marching at 116th Street and 2nd Avenue in East Harlem on Monday, in order to spread awareness of Kathryn Johnston, a 92-year-old woman who was shot in her home in 2006 during a falsified drug raid.
Soeller described a heavy police presence that followed NYC Shut it Down’s People’s Monday demonstration. Although the group he was marching with had “60 to 80 people, maybe 100,” they were followed by an estimated 30 members of the Strategic Response Group (SRG), a protest police unit.
Soeller explained that around 116th Street between Malcolm X Boulevard and 5th Avenue, people began being arrested.
“One person was arrested on a bike,” Soeller said, “even though he was riding with traffic in the street.”
It was around this time that Soeller felt his eyes burn and realized, “holy sh**, it’s pepper spray.”
Relief came when another person purchased a gallon of milk to use to treat the burning from the pepper spray. About five people were directly affected by the canister.
In total, four people were arrested at this specific demonstration. So far, two have been released.
Soeller plans to return next Monday.
Arrests have been reported in New York City, along with allegations of pepper spray use by the NYPD on protesters.
Atlanta protesters nearing Governor's Mansion
Protesters in Atlanta are reportedly nearing the governor's mansion in the Buckhead district, where there is a massive police presence.
Atlanta arrests
In Atlanta, police began making arrests on some people protesting in the street. According to Jim Chambers, a local organizer for Black Lives Matter, the officers gave “no warning, no order,” but “just grabbed a ton of folks.”
11 July 2016
Premier of TV series Shooter delayed
Shooter, a TV drama about a sniper, was set to premier on July 19, but the USA Network has decided “out of respect for the victims, their families and our viewers,” to push it back a week, to July 26, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Based on the 2007 movie of the same name, Shooter is about a US veteran sniper who must overcome false accusations to be reunited with his family.
The district attorney in Baton Rouge, Louisiana has recused himself from the investigation into the death of Alton Sterling.
Hillar Moore made the announcement Monday morning, citing a long-term personal and professional relationship with the family of one of the officers involved in the shooting.
The investigation will be conducted by the US Department of Justice.
Brown called on the public, including protertors, to ensure their safety and not be inconsiderate of the officers’ safety. He said that Thursday march was unplanned, spontaneous and officers improvised to deal w/ that, block traffic.
"Democracy requires participation," Brown said.
“Me and my family have received death threats almost immediately after shootings,” said Dallas police chief David Brown. He noted that
that everyone is experiencing a heightened awareness of people who i think aren't stable.
11 officers used their firearms, 2 officers used an explosive devise against the suspect in Dallas shooting, according to Dallas police chief.
He said that out of the 9 officers wounded, 4 were Dallas police, 3 were DART officers, 2 were community college police officers there at el centro.
One of the DART officers that was wounded fired his weapon.
Dallas gunman Micah Xavier Johnson was "disappointed" by his military experience, his mother, Delphine Johnson, told TheBlaze website
"The military was not what Micah thought it would be," his mother said. "He was very disappointed. Very disappointed."
He had turned from a fun-loving extrovert into a "hermit" after his return from a seven-month deployment to Afghanistan, she added.
"It may be that the ideal that he thought of our government, what he thought the military represented, it just didn’t live up to his expectations,” his mother said.
Black Lives Matter protests broke out in Inglewood in Los Angeles. The demonstration blocked an intersection in front of the iconic Randy’s Doughnuts. A witness told NBC Los Angeles that the protests were peaceful, while the rally had originally started out as a meeting at a local community center, before people began to spill onto the streets.
"We stand up as a people united, not by race -- as people," said local resident Daniel Fisher. "This needs to change."
The number of people detained in Baton-Rouge has topped 160, AP reported. Earlier, the authorities said 101 people had been arrested.
10 July 2016
San Diego Police announced that a man injured in the attacks on San Diego homeless people has died, bringing the death toll up to three. The main suspect, Anthony Alexander Padgett, 36, was arrested on Thursday on suspicion of two counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder after a series of attacks on July 3.
Protesters are refusing to leave and continue to throw stones at police officers trying to clear the blocked freeway of demonstrators.
Police in San Antonio, Texas are investigating a series of gunshots fired outside the SAPD Headquarters shortly after 10pm on Saturday, local news outlets say, citing no reports of any officer being hit.
According to police, they are currently questioning a suspect after several shell casings were found in an alley.
St. Paul Police Department reports that three officers have been injured in a standoff with protesters on I-94.
The officer was allegedly injured by a glass bottle being thrown by a protester from an overpass, after a few hundred Black Lives Matter activists shut down the I-94 in the late afternoon, blocking the major traffic artery connecting Minneapolis and St. Paul near the Lexington exits.
Just before 10:00pm, police set off smoke bombs to disperse the crowd while addressing the protesters over loudspeakers ordering them to “leave now” or face forced arrests.
St. Paul Police Department tweeted that one officer was injured after “being hit with a glass bottle thrown by protesters.”
Police have also announced that they are using “inert, glass balls and smoke” to clear the crowd that has been throwing “objects” and “dumping liquid on officers.” The department specified that the smoke that is being used “is not gas."
For the second time during the course of Saturday's march police have begun arresting people in Baton Rouge, LA. Earlier authorities brought in more reinforcements and an armed vehicle as the Black Lives Matter rally continues.
Activists have now completely taken over I-94 in Minnesota.
Protesters have reportedly shut down both sides of the FDR Drive highway on the east side of the New York City borough of Manhattan.
Police are threatening to arrest people as the Black Lives Matter march approaches Manhattan’s iconic Times Square.
In Fresno, California, it appears that the crowd is trying to take over the highway.
In St. Paul, Minnesota activists are marching against police brutality where on July 6, Philando Castile was shot at Falcon Heights after having been pulled over for a routine traffic stop.
At the moment State Patrol troopers are taking up positions to prevent protesters from taking over I-94 highway.
In Baton Rouge, LA, where authorities went on to arrest 31 in a rally on Friday, riot police walked out to greet protesters. Those on the streets are demanding justice for the family of 37-year-old Alton Sterling, who was killed by police earlier this week. Arrests are reportedly being made.
Social media users are tweeting that NYPD has started to detain some of the protesters.
A few tussles are reportedly occurring in Chicago’s anti-police brutality protests between police and activists, with footage from the scene showing a man being detained by the police.
Miami is also marching in a Black Lives Matter protest.
New York residents are once again flooding the streets of the Big Apple, with another Black Lives Matter protest in full swing
Black Panthers confronted State Police in riot gear after protests moved to Baton Rouge, where Louisiana police HQ is located. According to reports from the scene, police announced that they made “multiple arrests” during confrontation with the protesters. Up to three weapons were reportedly confiscated.
09 July 2016
People in Chicago are also participating in a Black Lives Matter protest.
California Highway Patrol was forced to shut down the ramp onto interstate 80 on the Bay Bridge, after a group of protesters blocked the intersection on 5th and Bryant Streets in San Francisco that leads to the bridge.
Protesters have started halting traffic in downtown San Francisco.
Dallas Police Department's SWAT team and armored vehicles are patrolling the department’s headquarters after receiving “credible” threats, a KTVT correspondent reported from the scene.
Supporters take to the streets of downtown Chicago as part of the Black Lives Matter protest. A week of intense rallies against police brutality is underway across the nation.
In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, nearly 150 people took to the streets to protest the shooting of black men by police in Louisiana and Minnesota. Demonstrators carried signs that called for “racial justice” and chanted. Local police chief welcomed the parade, walked along with protesters and shook their hands.
As many as 74 people were arrested at a Black Lives Matter protest in the city of Rochester, New York, which took place in response to deadly police shootings in the states of Louisiana and Minnesota. Around 200 people took part in the demonstration, police reported.
"We actually started demobilizing officers and ... arranging for some officers to be in the area just to keep an eye on things. At this point ... there were 74 arrests for disorderly conduct. There were also two charges for resisting arrest," Rochester Police Chief Michael Ciminelli said at a press briefing on Saturday. The tensions were settled quite peacefully, police didn’t have to "deploy any weapons, any tasers," Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren aid at the same briefing.
Dallas has been paying its own tribute to the officers who were killed and injured. The Texan city was bathed in blue on Friday night as the city paid tribute, with messages such as “One Dallas” displayed in neon-blue lighting.
Tear gas and pepper spray were used by police in Phoenix to breakup a group of demonstrators, who were attending a civil rights protest. Law enforcement officers made three arrests after rocks were hurled at police, according to ABC 15. The police decided to use tear gas on after the demonstrators started to advance towards them.
08 July 2016
The White House indicated that President Obama might cut short his trip in Europe to visit Dallas in the wake of the attack.
White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said on Friday evening that Obama feels "not just a need but a desire to communicate with the American public about his perspective" on the issue of racially charged violence in the US.
Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings said that the suspected gunman carried out the sniper shooting using a semi-automatic AR-15 rifle.
Texas Governor Greg Abbot spoke to reporters around 5:00 p.m. local time, stressing the need for unity and resilience in the wake of the attack.
"The past 24 hours in Dallas has been a veritable tale of two cities," Abbott said. "On the one hand it’s the tale of heroism of police officers. At the same time it’s been the tale of cowardice by an assassin. We are so proud, even in our mourning today, of the men and women who wear the uniform of the Dallas Police Department."
“Texas is going to go forward unaltered, unaffected by this act of cowardice," he added.
Across US cities, people are holding vigils in honor of those who died in Dallas. These scenes come from Louisville, KY.
Dallas PD officers meanwhile added their own sign to the Dallas shooting memorial.
Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson says that there appears to have been only one gunman in the Dallas shooting, AP reported.
READ MORE: Bomb making materials, rifles, ammunition found at Dallas shooter's home - police
Dallas PD says that they have discovered bomb making materials, rifles, ammunition, ballistic vests and a journal of combat tactics in Micah Johnson's home.
Police also said that Micah Johnson had no criminal history, but information obtained by detectives “indicates that the suspect was an Army veteran” and that some witnesses described him as “a loner.”
The morning after five police officers were fatally shot in Dallas, Texas, police officers were ambushed and shot in the St. Louis suburb of Ballwin, Missouri and Valdosta, Georgia. Authorities in Tennessee said Thursday’s shooting also targeted cops.
READ MORE: Not just Dallas: Attacks in three states target cops for two days in row
Pittsburgh police are saying that they are using “extreme caution” to protect officers at a protest that is expected to be attended by 1,500 people.
The city's Public Safety Department is working with the FBI in the wake of sniper shootings that killed five police officers and wounded seven others at a protest march Thursday in Dallas.
The protest is being Center for Popular Democracy, and is being held over concerns regarding labor rights, civil rights, environmental causes and immigration.
Nicole Johnson, the sister of the shooting suspect, had expressed anger over people who are “racist” and siding with police officers on Facebook just two days before her brother allegedly murdered police five police officers.
“Everything coming into the light and I for one think these cops need a taste of the life we fear,” she said, referring to police killings.
After the Dallas attack, she announced that she was closing her Facebook page.
The New York, Chicago and Boston police departments are stepping up their security measures in the wake of the planned attack in Dallas, instructing officers to operate in groups of two.
None of the cities said that there were any credible threats made against law enforcement, but said the steps were being taken as a precaution.
Police could be seen carrying bags of evidence out of Micah Johnson's home.
Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings spoke to reporters on Friday afternoon, pointing out that the last night's violence rooted in racial tensions and anti-police sentiment.
"We will not shy away from the very real fact that we as a city, as a state as a country struggle with racial issues," Rawlings said. "They continue to divide us. Yes it’s that word race: and we’ve got to attack it head-on."
Two of the Dallas PD officers killed were identified by family or former co-workers. Officer Patrick Zamarripa’s father posted about his son’s death on Facebook. Officer Michael Krol was identified by the Wayne County Sheriff's Office in Michigan, where he worked before joining the Dallas PD.
President Obama made a statement on the Dallas attack, giving his condolences to those affected.
"I speak for every single American when I say that we are horrified over these events, and that we stand united with the people and the police department in Dallas ... Let's be clear: There is no possible justification for these kinds of attacks or any violence against law enforcement. The FBI is already in touch with the Dallas police, and anyone involved in these senseless murders will be held fully accountable. Justice will be done."
Dallas police chief David Brown said that the attack was planned ahead of the Thursday night incident, and indicated that multiple suspects may have been affiliated with the shooter.
“Through our investigation of some of the suspects, it’s revealed to us that this was a well-planned, well-thought out, evil tragedy by these suspects," Brown said at a press conference. "We won’t rest until we bring everyone involved to justice.”
Army officials confirmed to AP that Johnson had been an enlisted soldier and had served on a tour in Afghanistan.
Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) confirmed that police officer Brent Thompson, 43, was one of the victims of Thursday night’s attack. The three other DART officers who were injured are expected to recover.
Thompson, who joined the force in 2009, is the first DART police officer killed in the line of duty.
Omar Cannon, 44; Misty McBride, 32; Patrick Zamarripa, 32; and Jesus Retana, 39 were also DART officers that were killed in the line of duty.
US Attorney General Loretta Lynch announced that the Justice Department has launched a first-of-its-kind federal hate crime probe into the murder of police officers in Dallas.
The Congressional Black Caucus renewed their calls for gun control and police reform in the wake of the shooting on Friday morning, demanding immediate votes on universal background checks and “no fly, no buy" legislation.
They also defended Black Lives Matter's, arguing that the shooter's expressed support for the group does not put it at fault.
"People cannot use Black Lives Matter as a scapegoat. Those young kids came together to protest,” said Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-La.). “You can’t blame them for these incidents happening. And as much as people would like to call them thugs and other things, they do that for their comfort."
Suspected gunman Micah Johnson was reportedly still in the Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) of the US Army at the time of the shooting.
“This has been a week of profound grief and heartbreaking loss,” Attorney General Loretta Lynch told reporters Friday, referring to the deaths of Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, and Thursday night’s deaths in Dallas.
“We must reject the easy impulses of bitterness and rancor,” Lynch said. “We must remind ourselves that we’re all Americans.”
“Turn to each other, not against each other, as we move forward,” the attorney-general urged. “Let us help heal one another.”
Watch RT's live feed of Lynch's press conference.
Johnson identified himself as a black nationalist on his Facebook page, The Daily Beast reported. Photos that he posted included black power motifs.
Johnson “expressed anger for Black Lives Matter" and "said he wanted to kill white people," Dallas police chief David Brown said.
The family of Alton Sterling, whose killing was one of two that sparked the protests in Dallas, say they reject the “reprehensible acts of violence” committed against Dallas police officers, AP reports.
Organizers of Thursday night's protest condemned the shooting that left 5 police officers dead and 9 people injured.
"This is a tragedy–both for those who have been impacted by yesterday’s attack and for our democracy," Black Lives Matter said in an official statement on the events in Dallas.
"There are some who would use these events to stifle a movement for change and quicken the demise of a vibrant discourse on the human rights of Black Americans. We should reject all of this," the movement said. "Black activists have raised the call for an end to violence, not an escalation of it. Yesterday’s attack was the result of the actions of a lone gunman. To assign the actions of one person to an entire movement is dangerous and irresponsible."
“Laura and I are heartbroken by the heinous acts of violence in our city last night,” former President George W. Bush said in a statement.
“Murdering the innocent is always evil, never more so than when the lives taken belong to those who protect our families and communities,” said the former president, who called Dallas his home.
Two Black Lives Matter leaders condemned the killings of police in Dallas.
Malkia Cyril of the Center for Media Justice said her "heart hurts for the dead." Black Lives Matter "advocates dignity, justice and freedom, not the murder of cops," Cyril wrote.
“This violence is wrong on every level,” said columnist Shaun King.
Philando Castile’s girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, said that the events in Dallas were not caused by her boyfriend’s killing by police in Minnesota.
“This is bigger than all of us,” Reynolds told reporters. “Today I just want justice for everyone.”
The family of Alton Sterling, an African-American killed by Louisiana police on July 6, said that it rejects the “reprehensible acts of violence” against the police officers in Dallas, AP reported.
Multiple sources have identified the sole suspect in the Dallas shooting as Micah Xavier Johnson, 25, reportedly a US Army veteran.
There has been no official confirmation from police or the city authorities, however.
Dallas police has not quite apologized for identifying protester Mark Hughes as a suspect on Thursday night, but their Public Information Officer has issued a clarification that he is not a suspect or person of interest in the case.
There is only one suspect, and Dallas PD is "not looking for any other active shooters," Erik Wilson, deputy mayor pro tem, told CNN.
Previous reports spoke of four suspects. The Dallas police mistakenly named one of the protesters as a suspect as well.
Most of the seven officers injured in the Dallas shootings have been released from the hospital, DPD Chief Brown told reporters.
He could not give any details of their condition, but added that some would need to return for follow-up treatment.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton have both canceled campaign events in the wake of the Dallas shooting.
Trump called the events in Dallas "an attack on our country... a coordinated, premeditated assault on the men and women who keep us safe."
"We must restore law and order. We must restore the confidence of our people to be safe and secure in their homes and on the street," he added, citing the "senseless, tragic deaths" of two African-American men in Louisiana and Minnesota.
For her part, Clinton personally tweeted her support for the Dallas officers and their families.
The suspect who was killed during the standoff told negotiators that he wasn’t affiliated with any group and had acted alone, according to Dallas Police Chief David Brown.
"We had an exchange of gunfire with the suspect. We saw no other option but to use our bomb robot," Brown said.
Brown added that the suspect was killed by a bomb robot, used to detonate explosives near his location. Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings said earlier the police killed the suspect in a standoff, using explosives to “blast him out.”
One of the suspects was reportedly upset about recent incidents that involved the shooting of blacks, and wanted to kill white people, Dallas Police Chief David Brown said.
The Dallas mayor reports the police have killed the suspect in the standoff, using explosives to “blast him out.”
Twelve police officers and two civilians were shot in the attack, Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings told CBS news. He did not specify which of them had been killed or injured in the incident.
A Facebook community dubbed ‘Black Power Political Organization’ has allegedly claimed responsibility for the attack, according to screen captures posted on Twitter and Facebook. The group’s page on Facebook appears to have been deleted or blocked.
According to the screen grabs, the group promised to “assassinate” more police officers “in the coming days.”
There is no official comment on this.
The only civilian to be injured in the standoff was a woman who was shielding her son from gunfire, her sister told CBS news. The woman was shot in the leg.
The 10-year-old daughter of Misty McBride, a DART officer who was shot during the stand-off, has spoken to the media.
“I’m just glad that she’s alive, really,” said Hunter McBride. The girl added that she had told her mother that she loved her.
Misty McBride, who has worked as a DART officer for five years, was shot in the arm and in the abdomen, her father, Richard McBride, said.
“She’s just waiting to go into surgery but there’s a lot of people a lot worse off than her,” he added.
“They were shooting down at police. I saw officers get hit,” protester Jamal Johnson told CBS news.
“Some officers were shot in the back,” Dallas Police Chief Brown said, adding that they were attacked “ambush-style.”
Dallas police said no explosives have been found in the downtown area after primary and secondary sweeps.
Watch RT's latest report on Dallas shooting
Obama said that when people “are armed with powerful weapons” it makes attacks like in Dallas “more deadly, more tragic.”
“And in the days ahead we are going to have to consider those realities as well,” he added.
Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council, expressed his condolences to Barack Obama over the Dallas shooting.
“I am deeply sorry about what has happened in Dallas. We are with you in this,” he said.
"There has been a vicious, calculated, and despicable attack on law enforcement,” President Barack Obama said at a press conference ahead of the NATO summit in Warsaw. He added that the US stands “with the people and police department of the city of Dallas.”
Obama added that Dallas police officers were “targeted” and America is “horrified” at this fact.
"Police in Dallas were on duty doing their jobs keeping the people safe during a peaceful protest," Obama said, adding that the attack was a "wrenching reminder of the sacrifices [the police] make for us."
Social media users have been using hashtag #DallasStrong to express their solidarity with the victims of the shooting.
The hashtag #BlueLivesMatter has recently been circulating on Twitter to mourn the slain police officers.
Two officers of those injured in the shooting are in surgery while three remain in a critical condition, Dallas Police Chief Brown said, as cited by ABC affiliate KTRK news. The condition of the sixth injured officer is unknown.
Dallas Police said that massive sweeps for explosives are currently underway in the downtown area, Fox News reported, adding that the operation is expected to “take quite a while.”
An unnamed eyewitness told the WFAA-TV news channel the shooting in Dallas erupted with "rapid fire" causing panic among people on the scene. "Everybody just ran their own separate ways and what we tried to do was to get the women and the children back there in the protest away from the gunfire. It was a horrifying experience to see all those people running and not knowing where the bullets were coming from."
The Los Angeles Police Department said it "stands with the City of Dallas," adding that LAPD officers will wear mourning bands in honor of those killed.
Senior Texas officials have pledged support for the police following the shooting in Dallas."Our thoughts and prayers are with the Dallas law enforcement community and the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) officers killed and injured this evening,” Texas Governor Greg Abbott said in a statement.
The suspect inside the multi-story garage reportedly shot himself during the standoff with police officers, according to KDFW.
Other preliminary reports say the police operation seems to be over with SWAT teams sweeping downtown Dallas.
US President Barack Obama, attending NATO summit in Warsaw, has been briefed on the shooting of police officers in Dallas, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said. He did not elaborate on a potential statement to be issued. "The president has been updated on the shooting of police officers in Dallas," Earnest told reporters. "He asked his team to keep him updated on the situation as they get additional information."
Dallas Police Association says a fifth officer has been lost, writing on its Twitter: "Officer down."
The fifth police officer killed in the Dallas standoff has been named as 43-year-old Brent Thompson. He had been a Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) officer since 2009.
"Loud blasts," possibly flashbangs used by SWAT units, are heard in downtown Dallas, according to some reports.
El Centro College located in downtown Dallas and its Wellness Center are on lockdown, with students and faculty staff remaining in campus buildings. The college said the lockdown was a precaution due to violent protests and the subsequent police operation taking place in the nearby area.
In the most recent news conference, Dallas Police Chief David Brown said law enforcers now believes four suspects – three in custody and one in a standoff with officers inside the garage – could have coordinated the attack.
Dallas Police chief David Brown said the second suspect had opened sporadic fire at officers on the second floor of the multi-story garage. "We will continue a very, very rigorous investigation and search of downtown … until we are satisfied that all suspects have been captured," he added.
Dallas police are negotiating with one suspect who is hiding inside a parking garage and threatening to detonate an explosive device to kill more officers, city Police Chief David Brown said. The suspect reportedly told law enforcers bombs were “all over the place in the garage and downtown" and "the end is coming.”
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a temporary flight restriction over downtown Dallas on Friday as negotiations between police and an armed suspect are in progress.
Facebook has activated its “safety check” button for users in Dallas.
A bomb squad is reportedly investigating a suspicious package after a person of interest surrendered. Police says at the moment two suspects are in custody.
Police have updated the number of officers who have been killed. At present, four Dallas officers have been shot dead.
Dallas police chief, David Brown, announced that police are negotiating with one of the suspects who they “cornered” at a garage after the shooting.
Dallas police said that a suspect believed to be armed with a rifle has also threatened to plant a bomb. Police are currently looking for two suspects, but no arrests have been made so far.
Local Fox-affiliate KTVT relayed police commands that the suspect was armed with a rifle in a nearby alley, after previously, the station had reported that at least one suspect was down, following SWAT officers with shields storming a parking garage.
DART, the Dallas transit authority, has confirmed one of its officers has died and that there are three others with non-life-threatening injuries.