A newly-wed and a Navy veteran of three tours in Iraq were among the five Dallas police officers killed in a sniper ambush on Thursday night. The victims were identified on Friday by officials, relatives and the media. 
 
Seven other police officers and two civilians were wounded in the shooting at the end of a protest over this week&#39;s killing of two black men by police in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and a suburb of St Paul, Minnesota. The Dallas shooter was a US army reservist who served in Afghanistan. 
 
Following are profiles of the five officers who died. 
 
Brent Thompson 
 
Transit police officer Brent Thompson, 43, worked for the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) system since 2009 and was the first officer killed in the line of duty since the transit system formed a police department in 1989, DART said on its website. 
 
&quot;As you can imagine, our hearts are broken,&quot; a DART statement said. 
 
Thompson spent more than four years in Iraq, working for private US military contractor DynCorp International as a police liaison officer who supervised Americans training and mentoring the Iraqi police force, according to his LinkedIn profile. 
 
Thompson was married to a fellow DART officer, local television station WFAA reported, citing DART chief James Spiller. USA Today reported that the couple married about two weeks ago and that Thompson was also a father and a grandfather from a previous marriage. 
 
He attended the police academy at Navarro College in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and later taught classes there, according to his LinkedIn profile. 
 
Thompson&#39;s Facebook page reflected the life of a devoted father, with numerous photos of family posted to his account. &nbsp; &nbsp; 
 
Patrick &#39;Patricio&#39; Zamarripa 
 
Navy veteran Patrick Zamarripa, 32, who served three tours in Iraq, was killed in the attack, his family said. He served in the military reserves as well as working as a Dallas policeman. 
 
His uncle, Hector Zamarripa, said by telephone that Zamarripa was a proud Mexican-American who has left behind a wife, their toddler-age daughter and a stepson. Although he did not speak much Spanish, he went by the name Patricio among his Spanish-speaking friends and relatives. 
 
&quot;He enjoyed the job, that was his calling,&quot; his uncle said. 
 
&quot;Addicted to the thrill of this job. I own the night. I love my Country, Texas, Family, God, Friends, and Sports! Don&#39;t Tread on Me! &#39;Merica,&quot; Patrick wrote on his Twitter profile. 
 
A lover of Tejano music, he posted pictures of his daughter, selfies with other officers on duty and his love for the Dallas Cowboys football team and the Rangers baseball team. 
 
Many of his posts were salutes to other officers. He wrote &#39;Rest in Peace&#39; in honour of two New York cops killed in 2014 and posted an image of an eagle with a caption: &#39;Home of the Free because of the Brave&#39;. 
 
Michael Krol 
 
Michael Krol, a 40-year-old officer with the Dallas Police department, was killed, according to a statement from the Wayne County sheriff&#39;s office in Michigan, where Krol worked as a deputy in the jails from 2003 to 2007. 
 
&quot;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,&quot; Wayne County sheriff Benny Napoleon said in the statement. 
 
Michigan governor Rick Snyder said in a statement that he had been notified that &quot;one of the fallen officers in Dallas is a Michigan native who previously worked in law enforcement in southeast Michigan&quot;. He did not name Krol. 
 
Lorne Ahrens 
 
Senior corporal Lorne Ahrens, a 14-year veteran with the Dallas police, was one of those killed, the Dallas Morning News reported. Reuters was not able to reach Ahrens&#39; family for confirmation. 
 
Ahrens, a 48-year-old California native, was married to a Dallas police detective and had two children, ages 10 and eight, the newspaper reported. 
 
Steve Stribley, a Dallas patrol officer, told the newspaper that Ahrens was &quot;an incredible loving and devoted husband and father&quot; and a &quot;greatly respected veteran of the department&quot;. 
 
Michael Smith 
 
Michael Smith, 55, also died in the attack, KFDM television in Texas reported, citing his sister. Smith grew up in Port Arthur, Texas, and served in the military as an army ranger before joining the Dallas police in 1989, the television report said. 
 
Reuters was not immediately able to confirm the report. 
 
A GoFundMe page set up to help Smith&#39;s family said he left behind a wife of 17 years and two daughters, ages nine and 14. 
 
He was known as a friendly family man and had been given a &ldquo;Cops&rsquo; Cop&rdquo; award from the Dallas Police Association, the Dallas Morning News reported. 
 
(Reuters)

Newly-wed, Iraq veterans and fathers among the five dead in Dallas

A newly-wed and a Navy veteran of three tours in Iraq were among the five Dallas police officers killed in a sniper ambush on Thursday night. The victims were identified on Friday by officials, relatives and the media. Seven other police officers and two civilians were wounded in the shooting at the end of a protest over this week's killing of two black men by police in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and a suburb of St Paul, Minnesota. The Dallas shooter was a US army reservist who served in Afghanistan. Following are profiles of the five officers who died. Brent Thompson Transit police officer Brent Thompson, 43, worked for the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) system since 2009 and was the first officer killed in the line of duty since the transit system formed a police department in 1989, DART said on its website. "As you can imagine, our hearts are broken," a DART statement said. Thompson spent more than four years in Iraq, working for private US military contractor DynCorp International as a police liaison officer who supervised Americans training and mentoring the Iraqi police force, according to his LinkedIn profile. Thompson was married to a fellow DART officer, local television station WFAA reported, citing DART chief James Spiller. USA Today reported that the couple married about two weeks ago and that Thompson was also a father and a grandfather from a previous marriage. He attended the police academy at Navarro College in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and later taught classes there, according to his LinkedIn profile. Thompson's Facebook page reflected the life of a devoted father, with numerous photos of family posted to his account. Patrick 'Patricio' Zamarripa Navy veteran Patrick Zamarripa, 32, who served three tours in Iraq, was killed in the attack, his family said. He served in the military reserves as well as working as a Dallas policeman. His uncle, Hector Zamarripa, said by telephone that Zamarripa was a proud Mexican-American who has left behind a wife, their toddler-age daughter and a stepson. Although he did not speak much Spanish, he went by the name Patricio among his Spanish-speaking friends and relatives. "He enjoyed the job, that was his calling," his uncle said. "Addicted to the thrill of this job. I own the night. I love my Country, Texas, Family, God, Friends, and Sports! Don't Tread on Me! 'Merica," Patrick wrote on his Twitter profile. A lover of Tejano music, he posted pictures of his daughter, selfies with other officers on duty and his love for the Dallas Cowboys football team and the Rangers baseball team. Many of his posts were salutes to other officers. He wrote 'Rest in Peace' in honour of two New York cops killed in 2014 and posted an image of an eagle with a caption: 'Home of the Free because of the Brave'. Michael Krol Michael Krol, a 40-year-old officer with the Dallas Police department, was killed, according to a statement from the Wayne County sheriff's office in Michigan, where Krol worked as a deputy in the jails from 2003 to 2007. "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," Wayne County sheriff Benny Napoleon said in the statement. Michigan governor Rick Snyder said in a statement that he had been notified that "one of the fallen officers in Dallas is a Michigan native who previously worked in law enforcement in southeast Michigan". He did not name Krol. Lorne Ahrens Senior corporal Lorne Ahrens, a 14-year veteran with the Dallas police, was one of those killed, the Dallas Morning News reported. Reuters was not able to reach Ahrens' family for confirmation. Ahrens, a 48-year-old California native, was married to a Dallas police detective and had two children, ages 10 and eight, the newspaper reported. Steve Stribley, a Dallas patrol officer, told the newspaper that Ahrens was "an incredible loving and devoted husband and father" and a "greatly respected veteran of the department". Michael Smith Michael Smith, 55, also died in the attack, KFDM television in Texas reported, citing his sister. Smith grew up in Port Arthur, Texas, and served in the military as an army ranger before joining the Dallas police in 1989, the television report said. Reuters was not immediately able to confirm the report. A GoFundMe page set up to help Smith's family said he left behind a wife of 17 years and two daughters, ages nine and 14. He was known as a friendly family man and had been given a “Cops’ Cop” award from the Dallas Police Association, the Dallas Morning News reported. (Reuters)

Profiles of the five police officers killed in Thursday's sniper ambush

President Barack Obama will cut short a trip to Europe and travel to Dallas next week in the wake of the deadly ambush in the city that left five police dead, the White House said on Friday. 
 
&quot;The President has accepted an invitation from Dallas mayor Mike Rawlings to travel to Dallas early next week,&quot; spokesman Josh Earnest said in a statement, adding that Obama would return to the United States Sunday night -- one day ahead of schedule. 
 
Obama, who was in Warsaw this week attending a NATO summit, weighed in on the attacks from the Polish capital, calling the episode &quot;vicious, calculated and despicable&quot;. 
 
Micah Johnson, the 25-year-old black Army veteran who carried out the sniper-style attack, killed five police while wounding seven more, as well as injuring two civilians. 
 
Before being killed by police, he told officers he wanted to kill white cops in retaliation for the harsh treatment of African Americans by law enforcement.&nbsp; 
 
Earlier in the week, two black men were killed by officers in other US cities, drawing protests across the nation.&nbsp; 
 
After travelling to Dallas, Earnest said Obama will &quot;continue the work to bring people together to support our police officers and communities and find common ground by discussing policy ideas for addressing the persistent racial disparities in our criminal justice system&quot;. 
 
According to the White House, Obama will depart for Madrid today. On Sunday he will meet with his Spanish counterpart before speaking to US military personnel serving at the naval base of Rota. 
 
He is trimming a visit to Seville off his travel itinerary to arrive back in Washington on Sunday night. 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

The US President called the attack which killed 5 police officers 'vicious, calculated and despicable'

President Barack Obama will cut short a trip to Europe and travel to Dallas next week in the wake of the deadly ambush in the city that left five police dead, the White House said on Friday. "The President has accepted an invitation from Dallas mayor Mike Rawlings to travel to Dallas early next week," spokesman Josh Earnest said in a statement, adding that Obama would return to the United States Sunday night -- one day ahead of schedule. Obama, who was in Warsaw this week attending a NATO summit, weighed in on the attacks from the Polish capital, calling the episode "vicious, calculated and despicable". Micah Johnson, the 25-year-old black Army veteran who carried out the sniper-style attack, killed five police while wounding seven more, as well as injuring two civilians. Before being killed by police, he told officers he wanted to kill white cops in retaliation for the harsh treatment of African Americans by law enforcement. Earlier in the week, two black men were killed by officers in other US cities, drawing protests across the nation. After travelling to Dallas, Earnest said Obama will "continue the work to bring people together to support our police officers and communities and find common ground by discussing policy ideas for addressing the persistent racial disparities in our criminal justice system". According to the White House, Obama will depart for Madrid today. On Sunday he will meet with his Spanish counterpart before speaking to US military personnel serving at the naval base of Rota. He is trimming a visit to Seville off his travel itinerary to arrive back in Washington on Sunday night. (AFP)

Obama will leave Europe early to travel to Dallas after deadly ambush

The gunman behind a sniper-style attack in Dallas was an army veteran and a loner driven to exact revenge on white officers after the recent deaths of two black men at the hands of police, authorities said on Friday. 
 
Micah Johnson, 25, had no criminal history, Dallas police said in a statement. 
 
Police found bomb-making materials and other weaponry at his suburban home following his deadly rampage on Thursday night at a rally held to protest this week&#39;s fatal shooting of two black men by the police in other states. 
 
Johnson told negotiators during an hours-long standoff he was upset about the deaths and wanted to kill white people, &quot;especially white officers&quot;, Dallas police chief David Brown said. 
 
Five policemen were shot dead and seven were wounded, as were two civilians. Johnson was killed by a bomb carried by a police robot device. 
 
There were no links to domestic or international terrorism and Johnson appeared to have acted alone, authorities said. 
 
However, a Facebook page attributed to Johnson showed &#39;likes&#39; for violent black militant movements classified as hate groups. 
 
A search of the gunman&#39;s home in suburban Dallas turned up &quot;bomb-making materials, ballistic vests, rifles, ammunition, and a personal journal of combat tactics&quot;, police said, adding that detectives were analysing the information in the journal. 
 
&quot;Information provided through the course of the investigation indicates that the suspect was an army veteran and others have identified him as a loner.&quot; 
 
Johnson served six years as a private in the army reserve and was in Afghanistan from November 2013 to July 2014, the army said. He was a carpentry and masonry specialist. 
 
Facebook trail&nbsp; 
 
Dallas police said Johnson&#39;s Facebook page referred to Richard Griffin of the rap group Public Enemy, aka Professor Griff, who the department said &quot;embraces a radical form of Afrocentrism&quot;. 
 
A photo on Johnson&#39;s Facebook page shows him with his right fist raised in a pose reminiscent of the black power movement of decades ago in America. 
 
In the photo, Johnson was wearing a colourful African-style tunic against the backdrop of the red, black and green Pan-African flag, which became popular during the black liberation drive of the 1960s in the United States. 
 
AFP viewed screen shots of Johnson&#39;s Facebook page after the social media company took it down on Friday. 
 
His &#39;likes&#39; included the New Black Panther Party (NBPP) and the Nation of Islam, organisations listed as hate groups by the Southern Poverty Law Center, which studies such movements in the United States. 
 
Both groups are known for expressing virulently anti-Semitic and anti-white views, the SPLC said in a statement. 
 
Another of his &#39;likes&#39; is a group called the African American Defense League. 
 
One of that organisation&#39;s leaders is a self-described psychotherapist, poet and black nationalist named Mauricelm-Lei Millere. 
 
After this week&#39;s police shooting death of a black man named Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Millere called for violent retaliation by blacks. 
 
He did so in a posting on the league&#39;s Facebook page. 
 
&quot;You and I know what we must do and I don&#39;t mean marching, making a lot of noise, or attending conventions,&quot; it said. &quot;We must &#39;Rally The Troops!&#39; It is time to visit Louisiana and hold a barbeque. The highlight of our occasion will be to sprinkle Pigs Blood!&quot; 
 
(AFP)

25-year-old Johnson's Facebook page and his 'likes' show him ascribing to violent black militant movements classified as hate groups

The gunman behind a sniper-style attack in Dallas was an army veteran and a loner driven to exact revenge on white officers after the recent deaths of two black men at the hands of police, authorities said on Friday. Micah Johnson, 25, had no criminal history, Dallas police said in a statement. Police found bomb-making materials and other weaponry at his suburban home following his deadly rampage on Thursday night at a rally held to protest this week's fatal shooting of two black men by the police in other states. Johnson told negotiators during an hours-long standoff he was upset about the deaths and wanted to kill white people, "especially white officers", Dallas police chief David Brown said. Five policemen were shot dead and seven were wounded, as were two civilians. Johnson was killed by a bomb carried by a police robot device. There were no links to domestic or international terrorism and Johnson appeared to have acted alone, authorities said. However, a Facebook page attributed to Johnson showed 'likes' for violent black militant movements classified as hate groups. A search of the gunman's home in suburban Dallas turned up "bomb-making materials, ballistic vests, rifles, ammunition, and a personal journal of combat tactics", police said, adding that detectives were analysing the information in the journal. "Information provided through the course of the investigation indicates that the suspect was an army veteran and others have identified him as a loner." Johnson served six years as a private in the army reserve and was in Afghanistan from November 2013 to July 2014, the army said. He was a carpentry and masonry specialist. Facebook trail Dallas police said Johnson's Facebook page referred to Richard Griffin of the rap group Public Enemy, aka Professor Griff, who the department said "embraces a radical form of Afrocentrism". A photo on Johnson's Facebook page shows him with his right fist raised in a pose reminiscent of the black power movement of decades ago in America. In the photo, Johnson was wearing a colourful African-style tunic against the backdrop of the red, black and green Pan-African flag, which became popular during the black liberation drive of the 1960s in the United States. AFP viewed screen shots of Johnson's Facebook page after the social media company took it down on Friday. His 'likes' included the New Black Panther Party (NBPP) and the Nation of Islam, organisations listed as hate groups by the Southern Poverty Law Center, which studies such movements in the United States. Both groups are known for expressing virulently anti-Semitic and anti-white views, the SPLC said in a statement. Another of his 'likes' is a group called the African American Defense League. One of that organisation's leaders is a self-described psychotherapist, poet and black nationalist named Mauricelm-Lei Millere. After this week's police shooting death of a black man named Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Millere called for violent retaliation by blacks. He did so in a posting on the league's Facebook page. "You and I know what we must do and I don't mean marching, making a lot of noise, or attending conventions," it said. "We must 'Rally The Troops!' It is time to visit Louisiana and hold a barbeque. The highlight of our occasion will be to sprinkle Pigs Blood!" (AFP)

Texas gunman was an army veteran and a loner

The US Federal Aviation Administration restricted airspace over Dallas after gunmen shot at least 11 police officers in the Texan city, killing four during a protest over police shootings of black men. 
 
&quot;No pilots may operate an aircraft in the areas covered by this NOTAM,&quot; the FAA Notice to Airmen read. 
 
&quot;Only relief aircraft operations under direction of Dallas Police Department are authorised in the airspace,&quot; it added.&nbsp; 
 
The restrictions, which are due to last from 0335 to 1130 GMT cover a radius of 2.5 nautical miles. 
 
(AFP)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

'Only relief aircraft operations under direction of Dallas Police Department are authorised in the airspace'

The US Federal Aviation Administration restricted airspace over Dallas after gunmen shot at least 11 police officers in the Texan city, killing four during a protest over police shootings of black men. "No pilots may operate an aircraft in the areas covered by this NOTAM," the FAA Notice to Airmen read. "Only relief aircraft operations under direction of Dallas Police Department are authorised in the airspace," it added. The restrictions, which are due to last from 0335 to 1130 GMT cover a radius of 2.5 nautical miles. (AFP)

US aviation authorities restrict flights over Dallas in wake of deadly shooting

A policeman shot a man outside the Love Field airport in Dallas on Friday, after the man,&nbsp;with rocks in his hands, vandalized a woman&#39;s car and later threatened the police officer with a large rock. The incident&nbsp;prompted a temporary shutdown of parts of the facility, police said. 
 
Dallas police in a written description of the incident said the suspect, whom they identified as Shawn Diamond, 29, the father of the woman&#39;s children, had told the officer, &quot;You&rsquo;re going to have to shoot me&quot;. 
 
Diamond, who had a rock in each hand, later made a &quot;quick approach directly at the officer&quot; and the policeman fired his handgun, striking Diamond, the police description said. 
 
When Diamond got up with a rock in one hand, the officer opened fire on him again, police said. 
 
In a social media video played on several broadcasters, five shots could be heard, followed by a volley of several more. Shouts of &quot;get down&quot; were heard and an officer with a pistol could be seen. 
 
Diamond was transported to a local hospital where he was listed in stable condition, police said. 
 
Video images of the woman&#39;s car showed broken windows and numerous dents but police said she was not hurt. She had driven Diamond to the airport so he could fly home to the East Coast, police said. 
 
Due to the disturbance, which occurred outside baggage claim, some people entered secure areas without proper screening, Dallas Assistant Police Chief Randy Blankenbaker told reporters. 
 
&quot;The airport decided to pull everyone back out of the secure area and recheck them for security purposes,&quot; he said. 
 
This created massive lines and the incident led to problems with flight schedules at the airport where budget carrier Southwest Airlines Co. controls 18 of Love Field&#39;s 20 airport gates. 
 
As of Friday afternoon, Love Field had the second-largest number of flights delayed of any US airport after Los Angeles International, at 50 or 14 per cent of its departures, according to flight tracking website FlightAware.com. 
 
Southwest temporarily grounded its flights at the airport for about two hours, the Federal Aviation Administration said. 
 
Bryan Armstrong, a witness, told CNN that the man who was shot had a rock in his hand and police ordered him to drop it as he walked toward them. 
 
The officer who opened fire will be placed on administrative leave, under department policy for an investigation into the shooting, police said.

The man had attacked a woman's car and charged a police officer

A policeman shot a man outside the Love Field airport in Dallas on Friday, after the man, with rocks in his hands, vandalized a woman's car and later threatened the police officer with a large rock. The incident prompted a temporary shutdown of parts of the facility, police said. Dallas police in a written description of the incident said the suspect, whom they identified as Shawn Diamond, 29, the father of the woman's children, had told the officer, "You’re going to have to shoot me". Diamond, who had a rock in each hand, later made a "quick approach directly at the officer" and the policeman fired his handgun, striking Diamond, the police description said. When Diamond got up with a rock in one hand, the officer opened fire on him again, police said. In a social media video played on several broadcasters, five shots could be heard, followed by a volley of several more. Shouts of "get down" were heard and an officer with a pistol could be seen. Diamond was transported to a local hospital where he was listed in stable condition, police said. Video images of the woman's car showed broken windows and numerous dents but police said she was not hurt. She had driven Diamond to the airport so he could fly home to the East Coast, police said. Due to the disturbance, which occurred outside baggage claim, some people entered secure areas without proper screening, Dallas Assistant Police Chief Randy Blankenbaker told reporters. "The airport decided to pull everyone back out of the secure area and recheck them for security purposes," he said. This created massive lines and the incident led to problems with flight schedules at the airport where budget carrier Southwest Airlines Co. controls 18 of Love Field's 20 airport gates. As of Friday afternoon, Love Field had the second-largest number of flights delayed of any US airport after Los Angeles International, at 50 or 14 per cent of its departures, according to flight tracking website FlightAware.com. Southwest temporarily grounded its flights at the airport for about two hours, the Federal Aviation Administration said. Bryan Armstrong, a witness, told CNN that the man who was shot had a rock in his hand and police ordered him to drop it as he walked toward them. The officer who opened fire will be placed on administrative leave, under department policy for an investigation into the shooting, police said.

Police shoots man at Dallas airport, causes lockdown and delays

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