Dallas police officers’ killer revealed

The identity of the prime suspect in the chilling reprisal killing of white police officers in Dallas has been revealed.

Micah Johnson, an American army veteran, who served in Afghanistan and Iraq, was reported by the Dallas Police Department as saying during negotiations that he wanted to “kill white people” as he went on a shooting rampage in Dallas that ended the lives of five policemen and wounded seven more.

The killings has been described as the worst attack against United States law enforcement agencies since 9/11.

Micah Johnson, 25, had fired an assault rifle from the top of a building, targeting officers who were monitoring a protest against police violence in downtown Dallas.

“He said he was upset about the recent police shootings,” said David Brown, the Dallas Police Chief, quoting Johnson.

“The suspect said he was upset at white people. The suspect stated that he wanted to kill white people, especially white officers.”

According to reports, the onslaught, which lasted into the early hours of Friday morning, was a chilling escalation following nationwide protests at the killing of two black men by police in Louisiana and Minnesota.

Commenting on the attacks on white officers, President Barack Obama called for calm, warning that anger over police brutality could never justify violence on police officers.

According to Obama, the shooting was a “vicious, calculated and despicable attack” carried out by “twisted” individuals.

Micah Johnson, had worked in Iraq and Afghanistan as a member of the US Army Reserve.

Daily Telegraph reports that neighbours said Johnson had claimed white police officers were conducting “genocide” against black people.

“He was upset. He said white cops are just slaying black people, basically genocide,” said Israel Cooper, 19. “He said ‘This is getting out of hand’.”

Another neighbour said Johnson had kept an arsenal of guns in his house long before the shooting.

 

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