On July 7, 2016, Micah Xavier Johnson ambushed and fired upon a group of police officers in Dallas, Texas, murdering 5 officers and injuring 9 others.
Two civilians were also wounded.
Johnson was an Army Reserve, Afghan War veteran who was reportedly angry over police shootings of black men and stated that he “wanted to kill white people, especially white police officers.”
via Timeline of July 7 Dallas Police Ambush — CBS Dallas / Fort Worth
David Brown Sr was appointed Dallas Police Chief in 2010 – he already knows it is his calling to be here and keep the city safe , still a sadness remains, as he leads a city , he is unaware he is also leading a nation
The sound reverberated off the buildings causing confusion as to where the shots were coming from.Dallas Police Officer Michael Krol, Senior Cpl. Lorne Ahrens, and Officer Patrick Zamarripa were killed in the initial gunfire.
Three other Dallas police officers; Jorge Barrientos, Gretchen Rocha, and Senior Cpl. Ivan Saldana along with two civilians Billy Ray Williams and Shetamia Taylor were injured.
9:01 p.m. – A call for help
Shortly after 9:00 p.m. officers radioed for backup.
Officers physically carried their shot colleagues as they loaded them in the back of squad cars and rushed them off to the hospital.
El Centro College officers initially keep gunman outAt this point, Johnson tried to enter El Centro College by shooting out the glass doors on Lamar Street, but El Centro College Officers, Brian Shaw and John Abbott were inside blocking Johnson from entering.Both officers were wounded by gunfire but they were able to force Johnson to move on.
Johnson then headed down Lamar hiding behind concrete pillars before sneaking up on DART Officer Brent Thompson.
Video from a nearby rooftop shows Johnson firing to the left of a pillar Thompson was using as cover and then going around to the right shooting Thompson in the back.
Then standing over him, the video shows Johnson shooting the DART officer again and again.
Gunman enters El Centro College
Johnson then turned the corner and went down Elm Street.
This time he was able to enter El Centro College.
Johnson went up the stairs to the second floor, through the library and down a hall.
There from a window looking down on Elm Street, he once again opened fire.
Dallas Police Sgt. Michael Smith who was by the 7-Eleven on Elm Street was shot and killed.
9:15 p.m. – Standoff inside El CentroAt 9:15, Johnson made his way down a long hall in El Centro College where officers cornered him.
30 feet separated SWAT officers from Johnson.
For the next several hours, officers tried negotiating with the gunman.
Dallas Police Chief David Brown said, “The suspect said he was upset at white people. The suspect said he wanted to kill white people, especially white officers.”
During the shooting, officers, unaware where the shots were coming from, scrambled to block intersections and were exposed to gunfire as a result.many of the demonstrators were headed back to their vehicles when the eruption of gunshots rang out.
El Centro College shootout
Johnson, now injured during the firefight, attempted to enter the Lamar Street entrance of the college by shooting out the glass door but was unable to make his way in.
He wounded two campus police officers who were near the doorway inside the building.
One was shot in the stomach underneath his bulletproof vest (with the bullet not being discovered until three weeks later), while the other was hit by flying glass in the legs.
Johnson then made his way to Elm Street where he shot out another glass door and entered the college unseen; he then made his way to Building B.
Hearing the shattering glass, one of the injured campus officers, Corporal Bryan Shaw, made his way through the building and discovered a trail of blood leading to a stairwell
. Accompanied by another police officer, Shaw entered the stairwell and was met with a hail of gunfire coming from above.
Unable to see Johnson, he held his fire and retreated with the other officer.
He hit Michael Smith, a police officer standing in front of a 7-Eleven, killing him and shattering the store-front glass.
Officers began entering the college, sealing escape routes from the building, and evacuating students and teachers in the building, including those on a floor above Johnson, through a different stairwell.
The Perpetrator
The gunman, Micah Xavier Johnson:
Documents released by the Army on July 29 detailed early signs of disturbing behavior being exhibited by him, but specific details were redacted.
Johnson was generally described by soldiers as a loner who sometimes ate his lunch in a vehicle alone while the rest of his unit ate outside together.
Discharge
On May 1, 2014,during his deployment, he was accused of sexual harassment by a female soldier, who sought a protective order against him and said that he needed mental health counseling.
The accusation was made after the soldier reported four pairs of women’s underwear missing from her laundry bag.
A “health and welfare inspection” of soldiers’ rooms found one pair in Johnson’s quarters, while a soldier discovered the remaining three in Johnson’s pocket.
Upon being confronted about it, Johnson fled with the undergarments and attempted to dispose of them in a nearby dumpster.
He then lied that a female civilian acquaintance gave the underwear to him, but the female soldier confirmed that they were in fact hers.
She described their relationship as being tumultuous and involving fights and disagreements.
She specifically recalled one incident where Johnson punched out a car window over her leaving for college and severed an artery, then forced her to bring him to a hospital for treatment.
However, Johnson claimed that he punched out the window when the soldier missed a movie they planned to see together, and added that he had been under stress from his job and turbulent home life at the time.
According to the soldier, Johnson asked her for a pair of her underwear before the May 1 incident, but she declined.
Also, during a Facebook conversation with her, Johnson mentioned “tying her down and having her face down on the bed” but then claimed the statement was a joke.
Though she told him that “rape was “never a joke”and “to stop contacting her“, the soldier did not report him for harassment at the time because she was used to that kind of rhetoric, as she was frequently around men at home and work.
Though the May 1 incident did not meet the Army’s criteria for sexual harassment, investigators found that Johnson’s sexually suggestive comments to the female soldier met said criteria.
Following the inspection, he was disarmed under the recommendation of his platoon sergeant, who felt he posed a potential threat.
An Army official later described Johnson was then placed under 24-hour escort before being temporarily moved to Bagram Airfield on May 3, but he did not have enough time to pack all of his belongings.
While soldiers were emptying Johnson’s quarters and packing his belongings for him on May 14, they discovered an unauthorized single M430I High Explosive Dual Purpose 40mm grenade, a .50-caliber round, and another soldier’s prescription medication in his sleeping bag.
Later, the Army sent Johnson back to the U.S., and according to the military lawyer who represented Johnson at the time, the Army initiated proceedings to give Johnson an “other than honorable” discharge.
On the advice of his attorney, Johnson waived his right to a hearing in exchange for a more favorable general discharge under honorable conditions.
He was honorably discharged in September 2014, apparently as a result of an Army error. Johnson remained in the Individual Ready Reserve (IRR), meaning he could be recalled into the Army if needed, and was part of the IRR at the time of his death, meaning not much because all honorably discharged had the same status at that time.
Some of Johnson’s fellow soldiers criticized the Army’s handling of the case.
Standoff and shooter’s death
Officers opened negotiations for surrender but Johnson said he would speak to black police officers only.
Johnson stated that he had acted alone and was not part of any group.
According to Chief Brown, Johnson appeared delusional during his standoff; “We had negotiated with him for about two hours, and he just basically lied to us, playing games, laughing at us, singing, asking how many did he get and that he wanted to kill some more.”
By about 2:30 a.m.,Chief Brown saw no possibility of negotiating further and made the decision to use a bomb disposal remote control vehicle armed with about 1 pound (0.45 kilograms) of C-4 explosive.
The plan was to move the robot to a point against a wall facing Johnson and then detonate the explosives.
Johnson saw the robot approaching and fired repeatedly at it in an attempt to stop it. However, the robot exploded as intended, killing Johnson immediately.
The robot, while sustaining damage to its extended arm, was still functional.
It was later discovered that Johnson scrawled the letters “RB” in his own blood while in the college, apparently after being wounded while making his way up a stairwell.
The meaning of “RB” and other markings made by Johnson was unclear, and investigators subsequently attempted to discern its meaning.
Later Police found those meanings on his Facebook page, which facebook refused to take down. Chief Brown said that during negotiations, Johnson declared he had placed explosives in downtown Dallas. A sweep of downtown Dallas found no presence of explosives.
Victims
5 officers were killed, and 9 others and 2 civilians were injured.
Most of the victims were shot during the protests, and at least one other during a shootout.
The dead comprised 4 Dallas Police Department (DPD) officers and 1 Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) officer.
2 officers underwent surgery. 1 civilian was shot in the back of the leg, breaking her tibia.
Weapons
There were conflicting reports on the type of semi-automatic rifle that Johnson used during the shooting.
Clay Jenkins, the Dallas County Chief Executive and the Director of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, said Johnson used an SKS.
News reports, all citing unnamed officials familiar with the investigation, said Johnson used a Izhmash-Saiga 5.45mm rifle, which is a variation on the AK-74.
The New York Daily News and Dallas Observer, did an interview with Colton Crews, who seemed pleased with himself said he sold, Johnson a semiautomatic AK-47 pattern rifle in November 2014, so Crews and his girlfriend could go to Mexico, and pay off a $600 payday loan, also adding how he sat and waited for Johnson, the whole interview is pretty gross.
The man said he sold Johnson the rifle and made the deal in a Target parking lot.
When the man asked the ATF if his weapon played a part in the shooting, the ATF agent who responded said,
“All we can say is it was recovered. We’re just finding out everything we can. In addition to the rifle, Johnson carried at least one handgun with a high-capacity magazine during the attack.
CNN, citing an unnamed official, reported that 2 handguns were recovered, one a Glock 19 Gen4 pistol and the other a Fraser .25-caliber.
The FBI reported, Johnson wore ballistic body armor with plates during the shooting.
Searches
Johnson’s family home was searched by authorities the day after the shooting.
Bomb-making materials, ballistic vests, two rifles, ammunition, and a “personal journal of combat tactics” containing “instruction on shooting techniques and tactical movements” were recovered from the home by detectives.
Chief Brown reported that the journal included “quite a bit of rambling … that’s hard to decipher.
Investigators are examined Johnson’s laptop, journal, and cell phone, along with 170 hours of body camera footage.
However, there were concerns about the resolution quality of some of the 90 cameras installed in downtown Dallas, which could have recorded parts of the shooting essential to the investigation.
The cameras were part of a multimillion-dollar downtown surveillance system implemented to reduce crime in the area.
The Dallas Police Department planned to release surveillance footage of the shooting on August 29, but held it off, saying the release would interfere with its investigation.
Aftermath
DART suspended service in downtown Dallas after the shooting, but resumed the next morning with the exception of West End station. The Federal Aviation Administration issued a temporary flight restriction of civilian aircraft for the immediate vicinity in which the shooting occurred, allowing only police aircraft in the airspace.
El Centro College canceled all classes on July 8. Police barricaded the perimeter and began canvassing the crime scene.
The explosion that killed Johnson also destroyed the school’s servers, further delaying reopening.
The school partially reopened on July 20, with staff returning that day and students on the following day.
Buildings A, B, and C remained closed pending the FBI investigation. A “Reflect and Renew” ceremony dedicated to demonstrating citywide efforts to unify Dallas was held at the college on July 27. Students and staff, along with city and community officials, were in attendance.
Chief Brown said “police efforts to identify the gunman were made more difficult by the presence of up to thirty civilians openly carrying rifles during the protest, which is legal in Texas.”
“We’re trying as best we can as a law enforcement community to make it work so that citizens can express their 2nd Amendment rights. But it’s increasingly challenging when people have AR-15s slung over their shoulder and they’re in a crowd. We don’t know who the good guy is versus the bad guy when everyone starts shooting.”
Dallas Observer noted several similarities between Johnson and Mark Essex, a discharged U.S. Navy sailor and Black Panther who committed 2 attacks against white civilians and police officers on December 31, 1972, and January 7, 1973, in New Orleans.
The attacks left 9 people dead, including 5 police officers.
Community Response
One of Dallas ‘ first official actions after te shooting of police was a prayer vigil in the city’s Thanksgiving Square. Such prayer is not an evasion of sulutions but a solvent for healing and prayer .
On July 8, the day after the shooting, a special interfaith vigil attracted hundreds of people to Thanks-Giving Square in Downtown Dallas, where regional faith leaders led prayers for the officers involved in the shooting and for everyone affected by it.
An interfaith memorial to the dead officers was held at Dallas’s Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center on July 12.
Former President George W. Bush, a Texan, and President Obama both spoke. Obama praised the Dallas police as heroes and called the killings “an act not just of demented violence but of racial hatred.” In the aftermath, Obama urged Americans not to give in to despair, saying, “[W]e are not so divided as we seem.”
Attorney General Loretta Lynch said that agents from the ATF, FBI, Marshals Service, and other U.S. Department of Justice agencies were on the scene working with state and local agencies. Lynch stated that the proper response to uncertainty and fear “is never violence” but rather is “calm, peaceful, collaborative and determined action.” Lynch also said, “To all Americans, I ask you, I implore you, do not let this week precipitate a new normal in this country.”
Police Cheif Brown is no stranger to loss. 
Cheif Brown’s Personal Plea:
Effects on policing
As a result of the shooting, local law enforcement officers worked more than $800,000 in overtime to help the Dallas Police Department (DPD).
This included $86,000 spent by the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office,$88,000 spent by the Arlington Police Department, about $705,250 by DPD, and unknown sums by the Irving Police Department and the Dallas Fire-Rescue Department.
26 police killed so far in 2016, up 44% from 2015
The Dallas Police Department is directing charitable contributions to the Assist the Officer Foundation , the Dallas Fallen Officer Foundation and The Dallas Foundation.
All three funds are intended to help with funeral costs and assist the families of the five law enforcement officers killed in last week’s horrific attack.
Lawsuit
Earlier, in September 2016, a Dallas police officer, Sgt. Demetrick Pennie,also filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas against 17 people—including Louis Farrakhan, the Nation of Islam, Sharpton, the National Action Network, Black Lives Matter, DeRay Mckesson, Malik Zulu Shabazz, the New Black Panther Party, George Soros, President Barack Obama, Eric Holder, and Hillary Clinton—blaming them for the attack and seeking damages of over $500 million.In January 2017, Pennie separately sued Twitter, Facebook, and Google in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, claiming the websites “knowingly and recklessly” allowed terrorist propaganda to be spread on their social networks.
Use of a police robot to kill Johnson
The killing of Johnson was the first time in United States history a robot was used by police to kill a suspect.
The decision to attack Johnson with a robot was made after it was concluded that the heavily armed assailant had secured himself behind a corner at the end of a hallway, with no safe way for police to rush him or reach him with a sniper.
To this effect, Stoughton said, “I’m not aware of any police department having on hand something that is intended to be used as a weaponized explosive.”
He believed the manner in which the police used the robot was justified due to Johnson being an imminent threat to police personnel and civilians, stating, “The circumstances that justify lethal force justify lethal force in essentially every form.
 “Memorial Service for Slain Dallas Police Officers”, C-SPAN, July 12, 2016 |
Officer Patrick Zamarripa’s father now a strong advocate for law enforcement
A banner of Dallas police Officer Patrick Zamarripa proudly hangs outside the Saginaw home where the 32-year-old Navy veteran who served 3 tours in Iraq grew up.
Inside the house that is still owned by his father, the fireplace is covered with photographs honoring his memory.
Read more: http://www.fox4news.com/news/265801192-story
A year later, fallen Dallas officers’ families ‘just still trying to figure it out …
https://www.dallasnews.com › News › Dallas Ambush
Jul 5, 2017 – A year later, fallen Dallas officers’ families ‘just still trying to figure it out’ … who knew Brent before he and four other police officers died in the Dallas ambush last July … For some during this year of firsts
— first birthday, first Father’s Day,
first ….
Former Dallas Police Chief David Brown talks new book, ambush shooting and more
On the fateful night,former Dallas Police Chief David Brown decided to kill the man who had slain 5 Dallas officers hours earlier. He has no regrets about making that decision.
Brown still constantly thinks about that night. But he realizes that the families of the fallen officers will be grieving the hardest.
“Over and over again, all the time, and it’s always gut-wrenching and very emotional,”Brown said.
“The anniversary coming up it’s just bubbling up the emotions again, not just for me, but this is about those families who miss their loved ones and those kids of those officers who are grieving missing their daddy.”
http://www.fox4news.com/news/265473240-story
Dallas ambush memorial sculptor calls project emotional
Texan sculptor Barvo Walker will be sculpting the memorial statue for the 5 Dallas officers that were killed in the ambush shootings last year.
“I have a real affinity for police,” Walker said. “I know they get a lot of criticism, but we would in a very unsafe world if we didn’t have police. In my opinion, they are underpaid.”
Read more: http://www.fox4news.com/news/265523481-story
One Year Later: Dallas Police Ambush 2017
‘Circle of Heroes’ memorial honors fallen officers
“Today is a shining example of that support and faith of what the community has for the men and women of the Dallas Police Department,” said Interim Chief David Pughes.
The Dallas Circle of Heroes honors DART Officer Brent Thompson and Dallas police officers Patrick Zamarripa, Michael Krol, Sgt. Michael Smith and Cpl. Lorne Ahrens. Making up the circle are five stones with plaques that tell each of their stories.
Read more: http://www.fox4news.com/news/266098530-story
Parkland Hospital staff recalls life-saving efforts
“The night that went down, I knew we were seeing history, that it was historic,” said Dallas County Hospital Police Capt. Dan Birbeck.
After the first shots were fired downtown, the calls at Parkland started coming in.
“The page went out that there was a gunshot victim was coming in,” recalled Dr. Brian H. Williams, a Parkland trauma surgeon.
“That officer was brought in by another officer,” recalled Nurse Jorie Klein. “Very quickly, another officer arrived.”
Read more: http://www.fox4news.com/news/266175783-story
Injured protester remembers how officers comforted her during ambush shooting
A mother who was shot during the sniper attack on Dallas police hopes to bring the community together by talking about her experience.
Shetamia Taylor was at the Black Lives Matter march with four of her sons when a bullet tore through her leg. As she was running, she saw an officer get shot.
She recalled other officers surrounding her. One officer jumped on top of her and covered her and one son who was still with her. Then she saw a second officer get shot.
Read more: http://www.fox4news.com/news/266295929-story
Hero DART bus driver relives frightening night of ambush shootings
On the night of the ambush shootings last summer, one brave DART bus driver used his bus to drive people away from the dangerous scene.
A year after the shootings, Donald Washington still can’t bear to look at El Centro College. He is taking his vacation to avoid seeing Downtown Dallas on the anniversary of the shootings.
The 30-year driver volunteered to drive his bus and pick people up, helping diffuse a tense time between police and hecklers. Praying, he successfully persuaded people to get on to his bus.
Read more: http://www.fox4news.com/news/266150681-story
El Centro College moving forward after tragedy
El Centro College in Downtown Dallas found itself at the center of the July ambush attack. Several students were inside the building when the gunman started shooting.
The school was hijacked by the gunman, Micah Johnson, from which he unleashed a barrage of gunfire.
“So I stepped outside, and my world changed,” Adames recalled.
Read more: http://www.fox4news.com/news/266159706-story
A look inside the Dallas ambush memorial archive
The days and weeks after the July 7 ambush, the Dallas Police Department saw an outpouring of public support from across the globe.
Although the memorial is no longer there, the items have been preserved at a local library.
Read more: http://www.fox4news.com/news/265931405-story