Dallas police were in a standoff with a suspect after at least two snipers opened fire on police officers during protests, killing five officers and injuring seven others, the Dallas police said on its official Twitter account. The protests were against the killing of two black men by the police earlier.
Police had taken three people into custody after the shootings on Thursday night and a standoff with another in a downtown garage, where gunfire had been exchanged, extended into Friday morning, officials told AP.
It has been a devastating night. We are sad to report a fifth officer has died.
The Dallas police also said on its official Twitter account that a “suspicious package” was discovered near a suspect's location and was being secured by the Dallas Police Department bomb squad.
The protesters had gathered after a Minnesota officer on Wednesday fatally shot Philando Castile while he was in a car with a woman and a child in a St. Paul suburb. The aftermath of the shooting was livestreamed in a widely shared Facebook video.
A day earlier, Alton Sterling was shot in Louisiana after being pinned to the pavement by two white officers. That, too, was captured on a cellphone video.Video footage from the scene showed that protesters were marching along a street in downtown, about half a mile from City Hall, when the shots erupted and the crowd scattered, seeking cover.
(With inputs from AP)
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