Five police killed, 6 wounded by snipers at Dallas protest

Five police officers were shot dead and six wounded in the US by snipers who targeted them during rallies in Dallas to protest against the fatal shooting of two black men by police this week.

It is one of the worst shootings of police in recent US history.

Dallas Police Chief David Brown told a news conference that two snipers in elevated positions shot 11 officers, killing three at the scene, in what appeared to be a co-ordinated attack.

Another two officers died later from their injuries. Some of the victims were shot in the back.

The US Federal Aviation Administration has issued a temporary flight restriction over downtown Dallas, meanwhile, Dallas police have said they are in ongoing negotiations with a suspect.

One of the suspects warned negotiators there were "bombs all over the place" in the city, officials said.

"The suspect that we are negotiating with that has exchanged gunfire with us over the last 45 minutes has told our negotiators that the end is coming, and he is going to hurt and kill more of us, meaning law enforcement.

"And that there are bombs all over the place in this garage and in downtown," Chief Brown told reporters.

"So we are being very careful in our tactics so we don't injure our citizens in Dallas as we negotiate further."

Police said one suspect whom they had engaged in shooting has been arrested and a bomb squad unit was investigating a suspicious package found near the suspect's location.

A second "person of interest" had turned himself in, they added, though there was no word on the arrest of a possible second sniper.

Dallas Morning News is reporting that the suspect involved in the standoff with police is dead from a self-inflicted gun shot wound.

"Our worst nightmare has happened," Mike Rawlings, mayor of the Texas city, told a news conference. "It is a heartbreaking moment for the city of Dallas.".....http://www.rte.ie/news/2016/0708/800989-us-shooting-police/
 8/7/16
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