In Dallas, Micah Xavier Johnson, a U.S. Army veteran, opened fire on police officers, shooting twelve and killing five on July 7. In Tennessee, another man, Lakeem Keon Scott, opened fire on officers and innocent bystanders on a highway. The recent string of officer-involved shooting deaths of black Americans motivated both shooters. In Missouri and Georgia, there were instances of officers being shot. A Missouri police officer was shot during a traffic stop, while a Georgia officer was ambushed after the attacker called in a fake emergency call to ambush him.
The catalyst for such a violent week stemmed from the shooting death of Philando Castile In Minnesota, who was shot and killed by an officer, with his girlfriend livestreaming him dying on camera. In Louisiana, Alton Sterling was shot and killed by police who responded to an emergency call that said he was brandishing a firearm while selling CDs in the parking lot of a local convenience store. The Department of Justice is investigating the Louisiana shooting as to whether police violated Sterling’s civil rights. Both incidents are tragic, which led to the Black Lives Matter protest in Dallas that ended in one of the worst attacks against law enforcement since 9/11.
In the aftermath of such shootings, threats against police are pouring in, with the Dallas Police HQ going into lockdown mode, while someone else fired shots at the San Antonio police headquarters (via CNN)
Gunfire hit the San Antonio police headquarters, leaving bullet marks on the building and shell casings in a nearby alley, authorities said.San Antonio police are investigating reports of a suspect seen fleeing from the alley, Police Chief William McManus said.
McManus said police got a call late Saturday night about shots fired. Officers canvassed the area, and found holes on the building and multiple shell casings.
No one was injured, but police officers inside heard gunshots strike the building, he said.
Other police agencies have reported threats to their officers as well (via AP):
While some threats have been unspecific and not credible, other promises of violence have been more targeted. In Louisiana, a man was accused of posting a video online showing him in his vehicle behind a police car, saying he wanted to shoot and kill an officer. Police say Kemonte Gilmore flashes a handgun in the video and talks about the slayings of Castile and Sterling.Police also say a Wisconsin man posted calls on social media for black men to gun down white officers, and a woman in Illinois is accused of threatening in an online video to shoot and kill any officer who pulled her over.
In Mississippi, Waveland Police Chief David Allen told The Sun Herald newspaper threats had come via phone and social media and involved possible gunfire attacks over the weekend. Extra police were to be on duty.
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