Shooting of Police Officers, Dallas (2016)
The Dallas police officer shooting in 2016 was a tragic incident that unfolded during a Black Lives Matter protest on July 7. The shooter, Micah Johnson, an African American military veteran, targeted police officers, resulting in the deaths of five officers and injuring several others. The attack was reportedly motivated by a reaction to police killings of African Americans, particularly following the fatal shooting of Alton Sterling just days earlier. Johnson fired from strategic positions, leading to a tense standoff with law enforcement that concluded when police used a remote-controlled bomb to neutralize him.
This incident not only sparked significant discussions surrounding police violence and the Black Lives Matter movement but also contributed to the ongoing national discourse on gun control, as the weapons used by Johnson were legally obtained. In its aftermath, the event underscored the complexities of race relations in the U.S. and the challenges faced by law enforcement amidst growing tensions. The response from leaders, including President Obama, highlighted the need for a balanced understanding of both police perspectives and the grievances of communities affected by systemic issues. The shootings are remembered as a somber chapter in a broader narrative about race, violence, and law enforcement in America.
Subject Terms
Shooting of Police Officers, Dallas (2016)
Date: July 7, 2016
Place: Dallas, Texas
Summary
The Dallas police officer shooting of 2016 was a sniper attack targeting white police officers attending a Black Lives Matter protest in Dallas, Texas. The shooter, an African American veteran with a legal home arsenal, shot twelve officers, killing five before he was killed by a remote bomb attack.
Key Events
- July 5, 2016—Police kill street vendor Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, inspiring protests across Louisiana and in several other states.
- July 7, 2016—Micah Johnson opens fire on police at a Black Lives Matter protest in Dallas.
Status
Supposedly inspired by the Dallas police shooting, on July 17, 2016, an African American veteran, Gavin Long, killed three police officers and wounded three others in a shooting in Baton Rouge. Both incidents became part of the broader debate over police abuse and killings of African American suspects, and both shooters claimed to have been inspired in their actions by recent high-profile incidents of police killing African Americans. President Barack Obama gave a statement in support of the nation’s police, but also expressed sympathy with the Black Lives Matter and Stop the Killing Movements, arguing that the recent unrest is a symptom of a long-existing pattern of police and the nation’s courts targeting African Americans. According to the Washington Post, 840 people were killed by police between January and mid-November 2016. Both police shootings have also been used as part of the national debate over gun control, since both Johnson and Long used legally obtained weapons and equipment to attack police.
In-Depth Overview
The July 5, 2016, shooting of Alton Sterling, which was filmed by a bystander with a cell phone, set off protests around the nation, including some organized by national activist groups Stop the Killing and Black Lives Matter. Black Lives Matter arranged a protest for the night of July 7 in Dallas, attracting around eight hundred protestors, with an estimated one hundred police officers assigned to monitor the protest, which occurred peacefully without altercations. At 8:58 p.m., officers reported shots fired on Main Street, though the police were initially unable to determine where the attack was coming from. The report later found that the shooter had parked a vehicle near El Centro College and walked to Main Street, where he opened fire on officers. In the initial attack, the shooter killed three officers and wounded three others as well as a civilian attending the protest. The officers killed were Lorne Ahrens, Michael Krol, and Patrick Zamarripa.
The shooter fled down Lamar Street, where he engaged in a shootout with another officer, identified later as Brent Thompson, and eventually killed him. After wounding two campus police officers, the suspect entered the college, where he fired on officers passing down Elm Street from the windows, killing another officer, Michael J. Smith, and wounding others. Police cornered the shooter at around midnight, at which time the shooter spoke with police, claiming that his attack was in response to police killings of African Americans and that he intended to kill white people, especially white police. The suspect claimed to have planted explosives in the building, and police therefore initially kept their distance, though no explosives were found. Police attempted negotiation until around 2:30 a.m., at which time police used a bomb disposal robot outfitted with one pound of C-4 explosive, sending the robot toward the assailant, where it detonated the explosive, killing the suspect.
Chief of Police David O. Brown gave a press release revealing the identity of the shooter as Micah Xavier Johnson, a twenty-five-year-old resident of Mesquite, Texas, and a member of the US Army Reserve who had served a tour in Afghanistan as part of an engineering unit. The investigation later showed that Johnson had been subject to a potential dishonorable discharge from the military after he was accused of inappropriate sexual misconduct, having stolen underwear from a female soldier who was a former friend. Some media reports claimed that Johnson may have been involved with black separatists or militant groups, such as the Black Panthers, though the investigation indicated that Johnson was not an active member of any group. Police found explosives and other equipment at Johnson’s home, suggesting that Johnson had been in the process of planning a more organized attack. While wounded, Johnson reportedly scrawled the letters "RB" twice with his own blood on the walls where he was taking cover. Police have been unable to decipher the meaning of the initials. Police also announced that three other individuals had been arrested or were wanted in connection with the incident. Later reports indicated that the three others arrested had been carrying weapons at the protest but were not connected to the shooter.
Key Figures
Lorne Ahrens: One of five officers killed in the Dallas shootings.
David O. Brown: Chief of police in Dallas, Texas.
Micah Xavier Johnson: Twenty-five-year-old Texas native who ambushed police on July 7 in Dallas, Texas.
Michael Krol: One of five officers killed in the Dallas shootings.
Michael J. Smith: One of five officers killed in the Dallas shootings.
Brent Thompson: One of five officers killed in the Dallas shootings.
Patrick Zamarripa: One of five officers killed in the Dallas shootings.
Bibliography
Achenbach, J., Wan, W., Berman, M., & Balingit, M. (2016, July 8). Five Dallas police officers were killed by a lone attacker, authorities say. The Washington Post. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/07/08/like-a-little-war-snipers-shoot-11-police-officers-during-dallas-protest-march-killing-five/
Bruton, F. B., Smith, A., Chuck, E., & Helsel, P. (2016, July 8). Dallas police "Ambush": 12 officers shot, 5 killed during protest. NBC News. Retrieved from http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/dallas-police-ambush/protests-spawn-cities-across-u-s-over-police-shootings-black-n605686
Dallas police shootings: What we know so far. (2016, July 9). BBC News. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-36744368
Emily, J., & Tsiaperas, T. (2016, July 14). Dallas police shooter killed 4 officers on the street, 1 through a second-floor window. Dallas News. Retrieved from http://www.dallasnews.com/news/dallas-ambush/2016/07/14/dallas-police-shooter-killed-4-officers-street-1-second-floor-window
Fernandez, M., Perez-Pena, R., & Bromwich, J. E. (2016, July 8). Five Dallas officers were killed as payback, police chief says. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/09/us/dallas-police-shooting.html
Karimi, F., Shoichet, C. E., & Ellis, R. (2016, July 9). Dallas sniper attack: 5 officers killed, suspect identified. CNN. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/08/us/philando-castile-alton-sterling-protests/
Yan, H. (2016, July 12). Writing in blood, threats of bombs: Latest on Dallas investigation. CNN. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/11/us/dallas-shooting-investigation/