Friday, July 8, 2016
Two gunmen shot eleven police officers in Dallas, Texas, during a protest on Thursday night, killing at least four of them, police said. The death toll makes this one of the deadliest days for police in the history of American law enforcement.
At a Thursday night press conference, Dallas Police Department Chief David Brown said the suspects threatened to place a bomb in the downtown area and that his department was coordinating with federal agencies.
One suspect is in custody after a shootout with SWAT officers, the Dallas Police Department said in a statement. Brown earlier said a suspect had been “cornered,” but did not offer further details. It’s unclear whether there are still suspects at large.
“Tonight it appears that two snipers shot ten police officers from elevated positions during the protest/rally,” Brown said in an initial statement. “Three officers are deceased, two are in surgery, and three are in critical condition. An intensive search for suspect is currently underway.” The police department later said an eleventh officer had also been injured and a fourth officer had been killed.
“At 8:58 p.m., our worst nightmare happened,” Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings said at the press conference.
Two of the deceased officers are from the Dallas Police Department. Dallas Area Rapid Transit also said four of the officers were from its police department, including one of the fatalities, on its official Twitter account.
The shootings occurred during a protest against police killings earlier this week in Louisiana and Minnesota. Hundreds rallied in downtown Dallas, near the corner of Main Street and Lamar Street. Local news footage captured what sounds like several gunshots being fired, and the crowd scattering.
Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick initially said more than one officer had been shot in Dallas, but did not have further details on the number or their condition.
Dallas police are searching for at least one shooter in the city’s downtown. No motive has yet been established and it’s unclear whether the shooting was related to the protest.
The Dallas Police Department tweeted photos earlier Thursday night of officers peacefully mingling with protesters at the demonstration.