BLOG -- SPECIAL REPORT – DALLAS TRAGEDY
COMPILED BY LUCY WARNER
JULY 8, 2016



A WOMAN WAS ENGAGED IN A SHOOTOUT WITH POLICE AND HAS BEEN ARRESTED. OTHER LIKELY CONNECTION WITH TERRORIST GROUPS IS NOT APPARENT YET. EARLY SPECULATION WAS THAT AS MANY AS SEVEN SHOOTERS MAY HAVE BEEN INVOLVED, BUT THAT HAS NOT BEEN REPEATED IN LATER STORIES. I HOPE TO GET MORE DETAIL LATER.

MY OWN HEARTFELT GRIEF CANNOT BE EXPRESSED. I AGREE WITH ALL THE WELL-KNOWN FIGURES WHO HAVE SIMPLY POINTED TO THE FACT THAT A FAILURE TO DEAL FAIRLY AND RESPECTFULLY WITH PEOPLE OF ALL RACES IS BENEATH US, AND IT WILL LEAD TO OUR UNDOING AS A NATION. I FEEL SORRY FOR THE POLICE BECAUSE THEY DO A VERY TOUGH JOB, AND MOSTLY CREDITABLY, BUT THE “BAD APPLES” WITH THEIR RACIST OR SIMPLY UNNECESSARILY AGGRESSIVE POLICING STYLE IS NOT ACCEPTABLE AND MUST BE STOPPED BY THOSE IN AUTHORITY. ON THE OTHER HAND, TRYING TO GET VENGEANCE BY SHOOTING INNOCENT OFFICERS AND CIVILIANS IS THE VERY SAME THING, JUST WITH A WHITE FACE IN SOME CASES AND A BLACK FACE IN OTHERS. BASIC HUMAN DECENCY IS SLIPPING THROUGH OUR FINGERS. THIS IS THE SECOND MORNING IN THE LAST MONTH WHEN I WAS AWAKENED BY TERRIBLE NEWS BEING BROADCAST ON THE TV. PRAY FOR PEACE.



http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/dallas-police-ambush/protests-spawn-cities-across-u-s-over-police-shootings-black-n605686

BREAKING NEWS DALLAS POLICE AMBUSH JUL 8 2016, 9:11 AM ET
Dallas Police Ambush Suspect 'Wanted to Kill White People': Police Chief
by F. BRINLEY BRUTON , ALEXANDER SMITH, ELIZABETH CHUCK and PHIL HELSEL

Video -- Dallas police shootings: 5 officers dead in 'ambush' at protest 4:08
Play Video -- Baton Rouge Mourns the Loss of Alton Sterling With a 'Second Line' Parade Mourns the Loss of Alton Sterling With a 'Second Line' Parade 0:37
Play Video -- Eyewitness Video Shows Panic, Chaos After Dallas Shootings eyewitness Video Shows Panic, Chaos After Dallas Shootings 0:37
Related: Witnesses Recount Dallas Shooting Horror
Photograph -- A DART (Dallas Area Rapid Transit) police officer receives comfort at Baylor University Hospital emergency room entrance on July 7, 2016 in Dallas, Texas. Ting Shen/The Dallas Morning News / AP
Related: Deadliest Attacks on U.S. Law Enforcement Since 1900
NEXT STORY Dallas Suspect Was Upset About Recent Police Shootings, 'Wanted to Kill White People'


A suspect who was killed by police after snipers shot 12 Dallas officers, five fatally, "wanted to kill white people, especially white officers," police chief David Brown said.

The man was killed after authorities cornered him in a garage at El Centro Community College. After several hours of negotiations, lasting into the early hours of Friday morning, officials exchanged gunfire with the suspect and "saw no other option" but to kill him by detonating a bomb, Brown said.

"Other options would have exposed our officers to grave danger," he said.

Brown said the suspect, who he would not identify, told a hostage negotiator that he was upset about the Black Lives Matter movement and the recent police shootings of black men elsewhere in the U.S.

"The suspect stated he wanted to kill white people, especially white officers," Brown said. "The suspect stated that he was not affiliated with any groups and he stated that he did this alone."

Nonetheless, officers took three other people into custody.

Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings praised the team who took down the suspect.

"The good news: He's gone off the face of the Earth," Rawlings told MSNBC.

The city's downtown was in lockdown Friday after Thursday night's ambush, which marked the deadliest day for law enforcement since Sept. 11, 2001.

Earlier, the suspect had told police negotiators that "the end is coming" and that "there are bombs all over the place in this garage and downtown," Brown said.

President Barack Obama, who was in Poland for a NATO meeting, condemned the "vicious, callous and despicable attack."

"I believe I speak for every single American when I say that we are horrified over these events and that we stand united with the people and the police department in Dallas," the president said.

The chaos started when at least two snipers fired from an elevated position on police officers minutes before 9 p.m. local time (10 p.m. ET), Brown said. He called it an "ambush-style" shooting.

"We believe that these suspects were positioning themselves in a way to triangulate on these officers from two different perches in garages in the downtown area, and planned to injure and kill as many law enforcement officers as they could," he told a news conference earlier — noting that some victims were shot in the back.

Other suspects might still be at large. "We're hopeful that we have got everybody, but we don't know that for sure," Rawlings told NBC's TODAY.

He said the suspects in custody were "being pretty tight-lipped," but their motives were clear. "It's simple ... they wanted to kill police officers. And sadly, they did."

Rawlings didn't elaborate any further on the motives or on who the suspects were, and said authorities were "not ruling anything out," including terrorism.

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This map gives a sense of how much of Downtown #Dallas is shut down right now http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Protests-in-Dallas-Over-Alton-Sterling-Death-385784431.html … @NBCDFW
4:11 AM - 8 Jul 2016

The FAA ordered a temporary flight restriction over Dallas and there were extensive sweeps of downtown for explosives, but none were found.

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Packed Command Post operations tonight. We all knew the fallen. #dallasshooting
2:43 AM - 8 Jul 2016

The casualties included eight Dallas police officers and four Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) officers, the mayor told NBC News Friday morning. Earlier, officials had said 11 officers had been shot.

Four of the five slain officers were Dallas police, and the fifth was a DART officer. A civilian was also wounded, authorities said.

About 800 people were at the demonstration, and around 100 police officers were assigned to the event and the surrounding area. The shooting occurred after the demonstration ended and as a march was taking place just several blocks from Dealey Plaza, where President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963.

"Our worst nightmare happened," Rawlings said earlier. "It is a heartbreaking moment for the city of Dallas."

"We heard shots, we smelled gunpowder, and that's when everything got really intense and surreal," a witness told MSNBC. "We just started to run and grab kids."

Police distributed a photo of a man they called a "person of interest." The person in that photo turned himself in, police said, and was later released. It does not appear he was part of the four suspects later mentioned by Brown.

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#LAPD stands with the City of #Dallas. We will wear our mourning bands in their honor. #PrayForDallas
3:48 AM - 8 Jul 2016

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Men & women of law enforcement selflessly run into harm's way to save the lives of others. May God protect them and bring peace upon Dallas.
11:29 PM - 7 Jul 2016

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Attorney General Kamala Harris said the shootings in Dallas were "a grave reminder of the dangers our law enforcement officers face each day in service of their communities."

The violence put other cities on alert as well. The NYPD's Counterterrorism Bureau said in a statement it was "monitoring the developing events" in Dallas.

The demonstration in Dallas was one of several held across the country Thursday over the police shootings of two black men, Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Tuesday and Philando Castile Wednesday in a St. Paul, Minnesota suburb.

In St. Paul, a crowd estimated to be more than a thousand strong gathered outside a school where one of those men killed, Philando Castile, worked as a kitchen supervisor.

In Baton Rouge, mourners gathered in a "second line" parade for Alton Sterling, who was killed by police Tuesday in an incident recorded on video by a bystander. The Department of Justice has opened a civil rights investigation into that shooting.

"It can be any brother or sister out here. This ain't just started; they've been killing us," Chermicka Brown, a friend of Sterling's who joined protesters outside the store where he was shot, told NBC affiliate WVLA in Baton Rouge.

Brown, the Dallas police chief, said his force was "heartbroken."

"We're hurting. Our profession is hurting. Dallas officers are hurting," he said. "There are no words to describe the atrocity that occurred to our city. All I know is that this must stop, this divisiveness between our police and our citizens."

F. Brinley Bruton F. BRINLEY BRUTON TWITTERFACEBOOKEMAIL
Alexander Smith ALEXANDER SMITH TWITTERFACEBOOKEMAIL
Elizabeth Chuck ELIZABETH CHUCK TWITTERFACEBOOKGOOGLE PLUSEMAIL
PHIL HELSEL TWITTEREMAIL
CONTRIBUTORS BECKY BRATU and GEMMA DICASIMIRRO
TOPICS U.S. NEWS
FIRST PUBLISHED JUL 7 2016, 10:31 PM ET



http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/dallas-police-ambush/dallas-suspect-was-upset-about-recent-police-shootings-wanted-kill-n605916

NEWS DALLAS POLICE AMBUSH JUL 8 2016, 12:23 PM ET
Dallas Suspect Was Upset About Recent Police Shootings, 'Wanted to Kill White People'
by ELIZABETH CHUCK and TOM WINTER


Latest developments:

Five Dallas officers were killed and seven were wounded
A suspect holed up in a garage was killed by police after a standoff
The suspect told a hostage negotiator he "was upset about Black Lives Matter"
PlayDallas Police Chief: Gunman 'Wanted to Kill Officers...White People' Facebook Twitter Google Plus Embed
Video -- Dallas Police Chief: Gunman 'Wanted to Kill Officers...White People' 0:40
A suspect in the ambush of 12 Dallas police officers "wanted to kill white people, especially white officers," and was upset about recent police shootings, the city police chief said Friday.
Image: Brent Thompson, Brent Thompson Dallas Area Rapid Transit
Related: The Deadliest Attacks on U.S. Law Enforcement
Image: A Dallas Police Officers guards the scene of a shooting, A Dallas Police Officers guards the scene of a shooting as investigators work in downtown Dallas, Friday, July 8. LM Otero / AP
Related: Witnesses Recount Dallas Shooting Horror
Related: Dallas Police Ambush Victim Brent Thompson 'Served Admirably'
Photograph -- Michael Krol Wayne County Sheriff's Office
Play Video -- Dallas police shooting eyewitness: 'It's been an emotional night' 2:48


A suspect in the ambush of 12 Dallas police officers "wanted to kill white people, especially white officers," and was upset about recent police shootings, the city police chief said Friday.

Authorities killed the man after a standoff in a garage at El Centro Community College in the early hours of Friday morning, after several hours of negotiations. After exchanging gunfire with him, they "saw no other option" but to kill him by detonating a bomb, Brown said.

"Other options would have exposed our officers to grave danger," he said.

Authorities did not identify the suspect. A senior law enforcement official told NBC News he is believed to be Micah Xavier Johnson, 25, from the Dallas area.

The sniper attack on the officers — which started Thursday night just before 9 p.m. local time following a peaceful protest over back-to-back police shootings of black men elsewhere in the country this week — killed five officers and injured seven.

It was the deadliest attack on U.S. law enforcement officers since Sept. 11, 2001.

Officials said Friday that due to the ongoing criminal investigation, they would not release information about suspects. Three people were taken into custody prior to the suspect being killed. It was unclear whether authorities still considered all of them suspects.

Earlier, they said there had been at least two snipers perched in garages downtown who fired on the officers in an "ambush-style" shooting.

But on Friday, Brown told reporters the suspect who was killed "stated that he was not affiliated with any groups and he stated that he did this alone."

"The suspect said other things that are part of this investigation so that we can make sure that everyone associated with this tragic event is brought to justice," he added, but didn't go into further detail.

Before he was killed, the suspect told a hostage negotiator that he "was upset about Black Lives Matter." The movement was again in the spotlight this week after two police shootings of black men: Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was killed Tuesday, and Philando Castile was killed Wednesday in Falcon Heights, Minnesota — prompting demonstrations across the nation, including Thursday's in Dallas.

The suspect told the hostage negotiator he was upset about the shootings.

"The suspect stated he wanted to kill white people, especially white officers," Brown said.

The shooting happened after the demonstration ended and as a march was taking place just several blocks from Dealey Plaza, where President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963. About 800 people attended, and about 100 police officers were patrolling the event and surrounding area.

Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings praised the team who took down the suspect.

"The good news: He's gone off the face of the Earth," Rawlings told MSNBC.

Rawlings said authorities were "not ruling anything out" for motives, including terrorism.

Senior law enforcement sources told NBC News federal investigators have ruled out any ties to Islamic extremist terror groups such as ISIS or al Qaeda, and are focusing on whether there are any ties between the shooter — or shooters — and domestic radical or extremist groups.

The sources said the federal investigation is focusing on the three individuals detained Thursday and whether they had any ties to extremist groups, as well as what role, if any, they had in the shooting.

The casualties included eight Dallas police officers and four Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) officers, the mayor told NBC News on Friday morning. Earlier, officials had said 11 officers had been shot.

Four of the five slain officers were Dallas police, and the fifth was a DART officer. Two civilians were also wounded, authorities said.

DART Officer Brent Thompson, 43, was the first person ever killed in the line of duty of in the 27-year history of the transit authority.

DART Chief James Spiller told MSNBC he had just gotten married within the last two weeks and was a "great officer."

He has served admirably during his time here at DART," Spiller said. "This is very heartbreaking for us."

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Our thoughts, prayers, and support go out to all those affected by the tragic events last night in Dallas.
9:43 AM - 8 Jul 2016

Three injured DART officers were also identified: Misty McBride, 32, Omar Cannon, 44, and Jesus Retana, 39. One had been released from the hospital, one was being evaluated for surgery, and another was being prepped for surgery Friday morning.

The Wayne County Sheriff's Office in Michigan identified one of the slain Dallas police officers as Michael Krol, a native of Redford Township, Michigan. Krol worked in the Wayne County Sheriff's Office jails from 2003 to 2007, the sheriff's office said.

"We are saddened by the loss of the dedicated officers in Dallas — one of whom was a former member of this agency — and also the wounding of the other officers," Sheriff Benny Napoleon said in a statement.

President Barack Obama, who was in Warsaw for a NATO meeting, said the U.S. was "horrified" by the "vicious, callous and despicable attack."

"I believe I speak for every single American when I say that we are horrified over these events and that we stand united with the people and the police department in Dallas," he said.

U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch urged Americans not to make violence the "new normal."

"This has been a week of profound grief and heartbreaking loss," she said. "After the events of this week, Americans across our country are feeling a sense of helplessness, of uncertainty, and of fear. These feelings are understandable and they are justified. But the answer must not be violence."

The shootings put other cities on alert. The NYPD's Counterterrorism Bureau said it was "monitoring the developing events" in Dallas, and Boston police said all its patrols would be conducted by two-officer units "in the best interests of officer safety."

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered flags statewide to be lowered to half-staff in honor of the victims.

Brown said his force was "heartbroken."

"We're hurting. Our profession is hurting. Dallas officers are hurting," he said. "There are no words to describe the atrocity that occurred to our city. All I know is that this must stop, this divisiveness between our police and our citizens."



12:08 PM UPDATE, NEWS CONFERENCE

http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/dallas-county/breaking-shots-fired-and-officers-down-at-downtown-dallas-protest/266881573

Suspect identified in deadly Dallas police shootings
WFAA Staff , WFAA 12:08 PM. CDT
July 08, 2016

WFAA Life news video David Brown Dallas Police Chief
FULL TRANSCRIPT: Obama speaks about Dallas police shootings
How other politicians are reacting
MORE: Lawyers slam DPD for 'fundamental error' in naming police ambush suspect online
Photograph -- Dallas police surround a vehicle on Interstate 35. (Photo: WFAA)
Photograph -- At least one officer was shot in downtown Dallas Thursday night at a protest of officer-involved violence across the country. (Photo: WFAA)
MORE: Names of Dallas officers killed in attack
Photograph -- DALLAS, TX - JULY 7: Dallas police and residents stand near the scene where four Dallas police officers were shot and killed on July 7, 2016 in Dallas, Texas. According to reports, shots were fired during a protest being held in downtown Dallas in response to recent fatal shootings of two black men by police - Alton Sterling on July 5, 2016 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Philando Castile on July 6, 2016, in Falcon Heights, Minnesota. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) Ron Jenkins, 2016 Getty Images
Related (SEE BELOW): http://www.wfaa.com/news/dallas-pd-black-lives-matter-protesters-posed-for-photos-before-deadly-ambush/267722139


DALLAS -- The sniper who police say opened fire on a peaceful justice rally through downtown Dallas, targeting police officers and killing five, has been identified.

Fourteen people total were shot. Two were civilians. DPD has identified the suspect as Micah X. Johnson of Mesquite. The rally was part of a protest of officer-involved shootings taking place across the nation Thursday night.

The shots were fired as the march was moving down Lamar Street near Griffin before 9 p.m.

"We've got a criminal investigation going on and our number one job is to make sure the citizens of Dallas are safe," Mayor Rawlings said Friday morning.

Dominique Alexander with Next Generation Action Network, who helped organize the rally, said Friday that the group is devastated and the event was meant to be peaceful.

MORE: Dallas PD, protesters posed for photos before deadly ambush
SUSPECT WANTED TO KILL WHITE OFFICERS

Dallas Police Chief David Brown said Johnson was killed after a long standoff with police. Negotiations were underway when Brown says Johnson told police he was angry over #BlackLivesMatter and was mad at white people.

He wanted to kill white people, especially white officers, Brown said.

Police Chief: Suspect said he wanted to kill white people

Watch: Dallas police chief says suspect wanted to kill white people
He also mentioned "the end was coming" and that he was "going to hurt and kill more" officers. He said bombs were planted all over the garage and downtown.

After negotiations went sour and gunfire was exchanged, Chief Brown says officers had to use a bomb robot to detonate the area around the suspect and kill him.

RAW: Video captures scene of suspected Dallas shooters

FIVE OFFICERS KILLED

The Dallas Police Association announced the fifth officer had died at about 1:45 a.m. One DART officer and four Dallas police officers were killed.

The officers have been taken to Parkland Hospital and Baylor Medical Center.


It is the deadliest event for police officers in the United States since September 11, 2001.

draft
Patrick Zamarripa. Courtesy via Star-Telegram

The first DPD officer to be identified is Patrick Zamarripa of Fort Worth. He was a young father and war veteran.

MORE: One of officers killed in Dallas ambush had Fort Worth roots

"Our profession is hurting. Dallas officers are hurting. We are heartbroken," Chief Brown said in a Friday morning press conference.

"Please pray for our strength during this trying time," Chief Brown said.

He also applauded the "brave men and women who do this job under great scrutiny."

One bystander who is not a police officer, Shetamia Taylor, was also shot. She is expected to recover. Details about the other bystander have not been released.

DART OFFICERS IDENTIFIED

draft
DART Officer Brent Thompson was killed during an ambush in downtown Dallas.

Brent Thompson, 43, has been identified by DART as its first officer killed in the line of duty. He had worked for DART since 2009.

MORE: Names of Dallas officers killed in attack
DART says the three other officers injured are expected to recover. They have been identified as Officer Omar Cannon, 44, Officer Misty McBride, 32, and Officer Jesus Retana, 39.

Family says this is DART Ofc. Misty McBride, shot in shoulder tonight but survived and doing ok. @wfaachannel8 pic.twitter.com/xCVsrIf31l— Bradley Blackburn (@BLBlackburn) July 8, 2016
"As you can imagine, our hearts are broken. This is something that touches every part of our organization. We have received countless expressions of support and sympathy from around the world through the evening. We are grateful for every message," Lyons said in a statement.

A SECOND SUSPECT

Mayor Rawlings reiterated Friday morning that a second suspect, a female, was arrested at about 11:30 p.m. She was reportedly in a shootout with Dallas SWAT officers near the garage at El Centro College.

A suspicious package was discovered near that suspect's location and the DPD bomb squad headed to the scene. No bombs were found.

draft
At least one officer was shot in downtown Dallas Thursday night at a protest of officer-involved violence across the country. (Photo: WFAA)

Chief Brown also said the department would continue to search downtown throughout the night and into the morning until they are sure all suspects have been captured and they have determined there are no bombs.

Video: Gunshots heard inside El Centro College

TWO ARRESTED AFTER FALSE LEAD

Meanwhile an officer saw a man wearing camouflage and carrying a bag when he got into a Mercedes and sped off. He went up Interstate 35 before he was pulled over and surrounded by police.

draft
Dallas police surround a vehicle on Interstate 35. (Photo: WFAA)

Police questioned both occupants of the vehicle before releasing them. The driver told News 8's Demond Fernandez he was just picking up his brother from the bus station and the bag was his brother's luggage.

Earlier Thursday, Dallas police circulated a photo of what Chief Brown called a "person of interest" in the crime. They say that man, Mark Hughes, has since turned himself in and been released. Hughes and his attorney may speak about the situation later on Friday or in the coming days.

MORE: Lawyers slam DPD for 'fundamental error' in naming police ambush suspect online
WITNESS ACCOUNTS

Some of the shooting was captured live on Facebook, as you can see below or at this link (WARNING: Graphic content).


An officer at the scene told News 8's Marie Saavedra the shooter had a rifle. She described several volleys of quick bursts of gunfire.

Witness of shooting in downtown Dallas speaks

Another bystander, Richard Adams, said the protest was "a lovely, peaceful march," until they were walking down Commerce Street near the Bank of America building parking garage when he heard what sounded like "a bunch of firecrackers going off."

MORE: Witness accounts detail horror of police attack
draft
Dallas police officers scramble to respond after 11 officers were shot by a suspect or suspects on Thursday, July 8, 2016. (Photo: WFAA)

ROADS CLOSED AND CLASSES CANCELED

El Centro College announced classes would be canceled Friday.

The following buildings in Downtown Dallas will be closed:

George L. Allen Sr. Civil Courts Building
Old Red Museum
Dallas County Administration Building
Dallas County Records Building
Dallas Municipal Court
Police said Friday that people who parked their cars within the crime zone downtown will have to wait several hours before they can get out.

PRAYER SERVICES SCHEDULED FOR FRIDAY

Interfaith leaders will hold a prayer service at Thanksgiving Square at noon on Friday. Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price says Fort Worth residents are invited to attend a moment of silence at noon at Burnett Plaza.

Meanwhile a fund to assist the families of the killed officers has been set up. Go here to donate.

Other ways you can help
PRESIDENT OBAMA REACTS

Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings said that the White House and the Governor's Office had called Thursday night to offer condolences and any assistance they could.

President Obama was briefed when the shooting happened and later spoke to the media around 4:15 a.m. Friday. "The entire City of Dallas is grieving. Police across America as a tight-knit family feels this loss to their core," Obama said. "I ask all Americans to say a prayer for these officers and their families."



http://www.wfaa.com/news/dallas-pd-black-lives-matter-protesters-posed-for-photos-before-deadly-ambush/267722139

Dallas PD, Black Lives Matter protesters posed for photos before deadly ambush
Blair Shiff, KUSA 8:40 AM. CDT
July 08, 2016

DALLAS - The deadly ambush on Dallas Police officers after a Black Lives Matter protest created shock waves throughout the nation.

But before terror covered the streets of downtown Dallas, heartwarming moments were shared between Dallas Police officers and Black Lives Matter protesters via Dallas PD's Twitter account.

Protesters marched in downtown Dallas, holding signs and chanting.

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Demonstrators in #Dallas chanting, "Enough is enough."
8:16 PM - 7 Jul 2016

Hundreds of people filled the streets.

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Men, women, boys & girls gathered @ Belo Garden Park for the demonstration re: recent police involved shootings.
8:47 PM - 7 Jul 2016

The Dallas Police Department posed with many attendees and posted those photos on their Twitter account.

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.@DPDAnderson with Senator Royce West @ demonstration @ Belo Garden Park
9:11 PM - 7 Jul 2016

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Dallas Police Depart ✔ @DallasPD
Demonstration in #Dallas @ Belo Garden Park
9:12 PM - 7 Jul 2016

Demonstrators continued to protest peacefully, marching down Main Street.

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Dallas Police Depart ✔ @DallasPD
The demonstrators have lined the Main Street and are walking eastbound, chanting, "Black Lives Matter."
9:14 PM - 7 Jul 2016

Protestors' cheers and chants rang out in downtown Dallas.

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Dallas Police Depart ✔ @DallasPD
Demonstrators marching eastbound on Commerce.
9:23 PM - 7 Jul 2016

Many of the demonstrators could be seen in the typical Black Lives Matter pose dubbed: "Hands Up, Don't Shoot" as they marched.

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Dallas Police Depart ✔ @DallasPD
Demonstration in #Dallas
9:30 PM - 7 Jul 2016

All the while, Dallas Police commended their officers for diverting traffic to ensure the safety of the protesters. Speeches were delivered outside of the Old Red Museum.

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Dallas Police Depart ✔ @DallasPD
The demonstrators have stopped on the steps of the Old Red Museum for more speaking.
9:47 PM - 7 Jul 2016

Then, the protest was over, and demonstrators started to leave. Shots rang out, killing five police officers and injuring others.

The snipers were not affiliated with the Black Lives Matter movement or any terrorist organization, according to the Dallas Police Chief David Brown. Despite the lack of affiliation, the Black Lives Matter Twitter account found it important to mention they do not condone this violent behavior:

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Black Lives Matter @Blklivesmatter
#BlackLivesMatter advocates dignity, justice and freedom. Not murder.
3:07 AM - 8 Jul 2016



http://www.npr.org/2016/07/08/485263308/theres-a-reason-we-look-to-politicians-after-tragedy

COMMENTARY
There's A Reason We Look To Politicians After Tragedy
July 8, 20162:07 PM ET
DOMENICO MONTANARO

Photograph -- President Obama weighed in, once again, on this week's tragic shootings. Depending on the ear of the listener, Obama has either struck the right chord or has been off key.
Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images


When I first heard the news after midnight Thursday that a sniper had killed police officers in Dallas, my first thought was, "Oh no."

"Oh no" for the officers and their families, for those trying to peacefully protest recent police shootings. But that "oh, no" was also for what could come next and a fear for our country, for race relations, for an American people in the midst of a dark presidential campaign that is threatening to tear at the seams of the fabric of our quilted country.

My second thought was about my job. I cover the news. More specifically, I cover politics and think about politics — and try to explain what something means to our politics and elections, policy and legislation.

Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., earlier this week.
POLITICS

Trump And Clinton Cancel Campaign Events, Respond To Shootings
I thought, what I often think after big events, "What does this mean? What can we say about this?" My initial answer was — this isn't about politics. There's nothing to "say" from an analytical standpoint.

A Dallas police officer, who did not want to be identified, takes a moment as she guards an intersection in the early morning Friday, after a shooting in downtown Dallas in which 12 officers were shot.
THE TWO-WAY

'We're Hurting,' Dallas Police Chief David Brown Says

And then, as details emerged the next day, watching the pain people felt, the groping for answers, for consolation, for meaning — and watching politicians and officials step up to microphones, I realized there's a reason people immediately seem to go to politics.

A Dallas police officer covers his face as he stands with others outside the emergency room at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas. Snipers opened fire on police officers Thursday night, killing some of the officers.

THE TWO-WAY
Dallas Police Officers Killed In Sniper Attack: What We Know Friday

They're seeking leadership. They want to turn to the people for whom they voted — and to whom they entrusted public power — for answers and accountability. They want to know how to feel, what to do, where to turn for a measure of hope, for understanding — and to be heard.

It's why after Philando Castile was killed in Minnesota after a traffic stop that people took to the governor's mansion. It's why New York's mayor had to say something after Eric Garner was killed in Staten Island after a confrontation with police. It's why everyone from the mayor and police chief in Ferguson, on up to the governor of Missouri and president of the United States had to weigh in after the death of Michael Brown.

It happens with marches on Washington, with protests outside the White House over war and peace.

Those of us who are parents might sometimes take a moment and wonder aloud, "Who put us in charge?" And then we realize we have to do something, say something and guide. It has to similarly weigh on our leaders –- their tone, their decisions can have far-reaching consequences.

President Obama has spoken far too often about tragedy in many forms – from Aurora to Sandy Hook, Fort Hood to Orlando, from Ferguson to Dallas. For the first black president, this particular issue of shootings by white police officers involving African Americans — which sits right on top of a racial powder keg — has been a delicate balance. Depending on the ear of the listener, Obama has either struck the right chord or has been off key.

Friday, he weighed in again. He said he was "horrified" and that he stood "united with the people and the police department in Dallas." He called the shooter's motivations "twisted" and tried to reassure: "There is no possible justification for these types of attacks. Anyone involved in the senseless murders will be held fully accountable. Justice will be done."

House Speaker Paul Ryan said he was "outraged" and said, "An attack on the people who protect us is an attack on all of us." He tried to strike a unifying note, imploring the country not to tear apart: "There will be a temptation for anger to harden our divisions. Let's not let that happen. There is going to be a temptation to let our anger send us further into our corners. Let's not let that happen. A few perpetrators of evil do not represent us. They do not control us. The blame lies with those that committed these vicious acts and no one else."

The leader closest to this incident, Dallas Police Chief David Brown, who is black, grieved and pleaded with the country.

"We are heartbroken," he said. "There are no words to describe the atrocity that occurred to our city. All I know is that this must stop — this divisiveness between our police and our citizens."

It has been a long month. It has been a long election campaign. Friday is exactly four months until Election Day, when this country heads to the polls to pick a new leader. For all the priorities people care about and the direction of the country that Americans decide to choose, what people are also choosing is someone they put their faith in and look to when these tragic events inevitably happen again.




MY FINAL THOUGHTS
WARNER

I am deeply grateful that Black Lives Matter had nothing at all to do with this shooter, because I went to their website several months ago and found an articulate, socially concerned and gentle statement. I was very pleased with them. I think that very gentleness may be the thing that the shooter here didn’t like about them. Their role in the emerging Black Movement is a helpful and benign one much like that of Martin Luther King, though they don’t seem to have a strongly cohesive nationally based organization. Like King, however, they are successfully making at least two important points:

Police brutality or unnecessary violence in relating to the citizens of the US (whatever their color or income level) is deeply wrong from any angle, and should not be an accepted part of “good policing.” It’s more like a war crime than policing. As the President and the Dallas Police Chief said, each in their own way, both the police who do engage in these violent arrest events around the country and the shooter here who found himself a safe perch atop a building to assassinate multiple police officers, presumably for their crimes, are doing evil. They are also causing our nation to degrade, possibly to the point of dissolution. We are in deep trouble as a society and a nation.

I can’t help it. I believe in GOOD LAWS that are FAIRLY enforced. BLM’s tweet above states their position on the subject: “#BlackLivesMatter advocates dignity, justice and freedom. Not murder.” Despite the problematic racial hatred that underlies this, we must think more effectively and do better things, starting now and moving forward. People who do things like today’s carnage are by definition not sane, and they are certainly not heroes. We must not let them set the tone of the discussions.

Obama is quoted above as referring to our present position “in the midst of a dark presidential campaign that is threatening to tear at the seams of the fabric of our quilted country.” I particularly like this, because as a society we do resemble a patchwork quilt very much, sometimes bringing beauty and sometimes, more dangerously, division. I hope that we mere humans can use our insights and instincts to produce, finally, our Great Society.

"The leader closest to this incident, Dallas Police Chief David Brown, who is black, grieved and pleaded with the country. "We are heartbroken," he said. "There are no words to describe the atrocity that occurred to our city. All I know is that this must stop — this divisiveness between our police and our citizens."

I pray that the Higher Power will lead us all -- our officials in charge and our citizenry in general -- to greater gentleness, respect, understanding, forgiveness, self-knowledge and hope. I want to see our children being reared without abuse and in the knowledge that reading and self-improvement are not dirty words, but are instead occupations that are at least as satisfying as winning a ball game. We all, in our society, need to change our ways and attitudes, because we are in terrible danger. It's the kind of danger that we can't shoot our way out of with a new AK47, after all.



SOME MATERIAL THAT IS NOT OVERWHELMINGLY SAD FOR A CHANGE – INTERESTING UNKNOWN WORDS FROM ARTICLES ABOVE --

The “Second Line Parades” are a part of New Orleans funerals and other occasions around the country. The parade mentioned here was undoubtedly being used in Dallas to mourn the two separate police shootings during the last week. The origins of the term are fascinating. See below.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_line_%28parades%29

Second line (parades)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Second line is a tradition in brass band parades in New Orleans, Louisiana. The "main line" or "first line" is the main section of the parade, or the members of the actual club with the parading permit as well as the brass band. Those who follow the band just to enjoy the music are called the "second line." The second line's style of traditional dance, in which participants walk and sometimes twirl a parasol or handkerchief in the air, is called "second lining." It has been called "the quintessential New Orleans art form – a jazz funeral without a body."[1] Another significant difference from so called "jazz funerals" is second line parades usually lack the slow hymns and dirges played at funerals (although this is not a hard rule; some organizations may have the band play something solemn towards the start of the parade in memory of members deceased since their last parade).

Origins[edit]

Some scholars believe that second lining has its origins in traditional West African circle dances, where children formed a periphery circle outside the main circle of adult dancers. The dance was brought by slaves to New Orleans, where it became incorporated into processions, such as funerals, forcing the ring to straighten into a line.[2] Others note the similarity of the steps – exaggerated, loosely coordinated strutting – to dances performed in Congo Square by the enslaved given the day off on Sundays. These dances were officially banned for a time because they were deemed threatening to the white inhabitants of the city, and their resurgence in second lining suggests a similar celebration of individual freedom.[3]

After the Civil War, African and African-American traditions came to be merged with the military brass band parade traditions of the Europeans and white Americans. Insurance companies often refused to cover the recently freed formerly enslaved, so African Americans formed into Benevolent Societies and "Social Aid & Pleasure Clubs". Membership benefits usually included a brass band for funerals and at least one public parade with music a year, so such societies became important in establishing the second line traditions.

The Second Line – the magazine of the New Orleans jazz club, started in 1950 – took its name from the second lining tradition, which by that time included fans of jazz music, both black and white.[4]

Second-line Drumming[edit]

A second-line snare drummer commonly follows the brass band, playing off of the marching beat with improvised polyrhythmic figures that can inspire second line dancers or, if the band is improvising, the band itself. Second-line drumming styles became a feature of early jazz drumming and the New Orleans Rhythm and Blues of the 1950s. The Rebirth Brass Band and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band feature traditional second-line drumming styles. Idriss Muhammed adapted second-line drum figures to modern jazz.

Modern second lining[edit]

Second line parades are part of the cultural heritage of New Orleans.

The locally best known second line parades are held by clubs and benevolent organizations. Some have long histories; the oldest such organization still holding regular parades is the Young Men Olympian Junior Benevolent Association, founded in 1884. During the "second line season", lasting most of the year with breaks for holidays (including Mardi Gras) and the hottest part of summer, there are second line parades most Sundays.[5] Longer parades often make stops, commonly at bars, where refreshments have been arranged for members and those following the parade for fun can purchase something. There are often vendors selling soft drinks, beer, and street food, including barbecue and yaka mein.

Additional second lines, large or small, may be held for any event which people think merits hiring a parading band for such a style of celebration, including weddings and opening of businesses.

The historic predominantly African-American neighborhoods of Tremé and Central City are most strongly associated with the traditions, though second lines can often be seen in the Seventh Ward, Uptown, Marigny, Ninth Ward, Mid-City, and at least on occasion in most of the older neighborhoods of the city. The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival holds second lines at the Fair Grounds each day of the festival to give visitors a taste of this New Orleans tradition.

Historically, the parades were unofficial events and had an air of menace.[6] A second line parade was featured in the 1973 James Bond film Live and Let Die.[7] Later, the opening episode (as well as the last one of the first season) of the HBO series Tremé featured a second line parade[8] and journalists championed second line culture.[6] After Hurricane Katrina, new residents of New Orleans embraced the second line tradition and it became part of the cultural economy of the city.[6] Parade routes were publicized online inviting outsiders to participate.[6]

The overwhelming majority of second line events have been peaceful, but like any other public event where large numbers of people gather, violence has marred some parades in recent years, most notoriously in the gang-related May 12, 2013 Mother's Day Parade shooting where 19 were wounded and one trampled,[9] and again on November 22, 2015, at Bunny Friend Park, where 17 were wounded, three critically.[10]

Other places[edit]

Though originally a New Orleans phenomenon, in recent times the style has spread to other parts of the country; the HONK! Festival in Somerville, MA, was started by The Second Line Social Aid and Pleasure Society Brass Band. Asheville, North Carolina has the "Asheville Second Line Band", which marches at parades and other events in Asheville.[11] Still, second lining remains most common in the New Orleans area.

References[edit]

1.Jump up ^ Baum, Dan. Nine Lives: Death and Life in New Orleans (Spiegel & Grau, 2009), p. 120.
2.Jump up ^ Richard Brent Turner (11 August 2009). Jazz religion, the second line, and Black New Orleans. Indiana University Press. p. 108. ISBN 978-0-253-22120-9. Retrieved 30 October 2011.
3.Jump up ^ Roger D. Abrahams (2006). Blues for New Orleans: Mardi Gras and America's Creole soul. University of Pennsylvania Press. pp. 31–2. ISBN 978-0-8122-3959-1. Retrieved 30 October 2011.
4.Jump up ^ Martin Halliwell (15 March 2007). American culture in the 1950s. Edinburgh University Press. pp. 140–1. ISBN 978-0-7486-1885-9. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
5.Jump up ^ http://www.bestofneworleans.com/blogofneworleans/archives/2011/08/23/tis-the-season-for-second-line-parades
6.^ Jump up to: a b c d "Celebrating, in Spite of the Risk". New York Times. May 14, 2013. Retrieved May 14, 2013.
7.Jump up ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQUs8RlsQ14
8.Jump up ^ List of Treme episodes#Season 1 .282010.29
9.Jump up ^ Mothers Day shooting gang feud related target of authorities, Nola.com', Naomi Martin, May 11, 2014. Retrieved 27 November 2015
10.Jump up ^ Bunny Friend Park shooting: What we know Monday morning, Nola.com, Danielle Dreilinger, November 23, 2015. Retrieved 27 November 2015.
11.Jump up ^ https://mountainx.com




What is the meaning of Treme? Storyville? HONK?

http://www.citydictionary.com/LA/New-Orleans/Treme/3656/

14 Definitions

1. Named after Claude Treme, the Treme (pronounced truh-MAY) neighborhood (often referred to simply as 'Treme') is the first free neighborhood of color in America. Treme is the location of Congo Square, where African folkways and music were permitted to flourish long before slaves were able to freely congregate anywhere else in the country. Treme is also the site of Storeyville, and is as close to any one place in New Orleans as can be considered the actual birthplace of jazz. Claiborne Avenue, which forms the northern border of Treme, was once the wealthiest African-American commercial district in the US, until I-10 was constructed in 1966. Today, Treme is still home to beautiful creole architecture, vibrant restaurants (like Dooky Chase, Lil Dizzy's, and Willie Mae's Scotch House), and live oaks. Louis Armstrong National Jazz Park is located in Treme, as is the Mahalia Jackson Theater of Performing Arts.
Posted by: jeffschwartz on Jul 11, 2008
(8) (0)

2.Treme is also the name of an HBO series to come out in 2010 about the neighborhood's ongoing rebuilding efforts after Hurricane Katrina. The series was created by David Simon, who also created the hit series "The Wire".
Posted by: madmax on Aug 16, 2009
(3) (0)


HONK! FESTIVALS

Young musically inclined people will know all about this, but I didn’t.


http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=honk&defid=396184


Top Definition

honk

To squeeze a booby and pretend its a horn or klaxon type device...see also Hoot
Honk!!! Oooh you cheaky scallywag!
by Dr Billy December 14, 2003

EH, WHAT?? THE ONLY MEANING I CAN COME UP WITH FOR THIS DEFINITION IS REALLY, REALLY VULGAR. THE FOLLOWING EXPLANATION IS MUCH BETTER:



http://honkfest.org/

Photograph -- photo by Andre Martins. A UNION ACTIVITY PARADE, 2016, large rowdy looking crowd of mixed age, mostly (or completely) white, workers carrying protest signs in favor of $15.00/hour wages for Wendy’s workers, and preceded by a band, probably a New Orleans style band. “The eleventh HONK! October 7th to 9th 2016.” There’s still no true definition here, but it looks like lots of fun and a good place for a Bernie Sanders fan to be. I could find no reference to HONK! Festival, except for a Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/honkfestival:

“HONK! is an annual gathering of activist street bands that converges in Davis Square, Somerville, MA. www.honkfest.org. “HONK! bands are typically acoustic and mobile, often politically aware and articulate, and always high spirited. There is a rich community ethic among HONK!ers, who use their music to erode the barriers between professional and novice, and between audience and performers.”


http://www.honkfestwest.org/about/

What is Honk! Fest West?

HONK! Fest West is a grass roots, non-profit, music festival. Completely volunteer planned, organized, and performed, HONK! Festivals are a part of a global renaissance of community street band culture. For three days in Seattle area parks and streets, 25+ bands deliver music and celebration that is completely free and family-friendly.

HONK! festivals are a different sort of music festival. These festivals are part of a global renaissance of community street band culture providing music by the people for the people. We at HONK! Fest West are thrilled to be a local mainstay of this musical renaissance. HONK! Fest West 2016’s mission is to celebrate community music in the public spaces of Seattle with free fanfare performances representing diverse musical influences. Like all HONK! festivals, HONK! Fest West is family friendly and always free to the public.

HONK! bands are typically acoustic and mobile, often politically aware and articulate, and always high spirited. There is a rich community ethic among HONK!ers, who use their music to erode the barriers between professional and novice, and between audience and performers. Although uniforms are sometimes used as a performance tool, individuality is key, and group members often hail from all range of classes, ethnicities, ages, and backgrounds. Perhaps most importantly, the honkers’ ultimate goal is to have fun, to relish the art of making fun as a form of individual and collective transcendence, and to encourage others to see and do the same.

Who is Honk! Fest West?

HONK! Fest West is built through the community. Contributions large and small from individuals, businesses, and organizations are what keep HONK! Fest West going year after year. Event housing, feeding, and coordination of other volunteer musicians is organized and managed by hundreds of volunteers. Our hope, is that HONK! Fest West is you!

We have partnered with Shunpike, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that supports the arts, as our fiscal sponsor. Donations to HONK! Fest West and Shunpike will be tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law, and may be eligible for employer matching.

Our festival is part musical gathering, part community activism. Many of us play an instrument. Some don’t. But all of us have found that live, energetic, mobile, acoustic music—no matter which side of the mouthpiece you are on—brings audience and band together in something like family. A raucous, playful family.

Come HONK! with us on June 17th-19th

Thank you for your support,

Your HONK! Fest West Organizing Committee

HONK! Family -- HONK! Boston (MA), HONK!TX Austin (TX), and five other sites including Rio de Janeiro Brazil and Australia.


“Deaths in the Family

The HONK! Somerville organizing committee joins the entire HONK! community in expressing our profound sadness at the sudden loss of Leah Durrett, one of the most beautiful and inspiring souls in our beautiful and inspiring family. She touched so many of us, and so her spirit stays with us and within us. We are moved, honored, and fortunate to be a part of such a warm and loving community. A memorial website for Leah can be found here.
We are also sad to hear of the passing of Charles Adler in Artesian Rumble. These are the words of his daughter, Hillary, about what a creative soul he was. "Charles loved music, performing, writing, wordplay, and creative expression in general. He taught himself how to play clarinet and sax. He played every Friday with his band as part of a peace vigil where he'd instantly be all smiles. He loved dancing and music and considered it healing. He was skilled at seeing beauty in the world and in the people he encountered." He played at our HONK! festival and will be greatly missed by the HONK! community.

[NOTE: Leah Durrett was a young woman who drowned while “tubing” at a dam near Austin Texas in dangerous water. The ”no swimming signs” were covered by high water.]

Eleven Years of HONK!

We are hard at work planning The Eleventh HONK! returning to Somerville and Cambridge on October 7th-9th 2016. In the meantime, find some of your fond HONK! memories in our archives.