Post by Admin on Jul 18, 2016 10:45:58 GMT -4
Baton Rouge Cop Killing
In Baton Rough July 18 (Reuters) - Authorities sought to learn more on Monday about a decorated ex-U.S. Marine sergeant who killed three police officers in Baton Rouge, some two weeks after police there shot dead a black man, sparking nationwide protests including one shattered by the massacre of five Dallas policemen.
The suspect, dressed in black and armed with a rifle, was shot dead on Sunday morning in a gunfight with police who converged on the scene of a confrontation that Mayor Kip Holden said began as an "ambush-style" attack.
Two Baton Rouge Police Department officers and one sheriff's deputy were killed, and one sheriff's deputy was critically wounded. Another officer and one other deputy suffered less severe wounds.
Col. Mike Edmonson, superintendent of the Louisiana State Police, told a news conference the gunman was believed to have acted alone.
It was not immediately clear whether there was a link between the bloodshed and unrest over the police killings of two black men in questionable circumstances this month - Alton Sterling, 37, in Baton Rouge on July 5, and Philando Castile, 32, near St. Paul, Minnesota, on July 6.
Michael Krol is pictured in this handout photo. Krol, a former employee of the Wayne County Sheriff's Office, is one of the officers killed in an attack in which five police officers were shot dead at a protest decrying police shootings of black men according to local media Brent Thompson - one of the officers killed in Dallas police shootings. This undated photo provided by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department shows former Deputy Lorne Ahrens, who served the county from 1991 to 2002. He was one of the five police officers killed in shootings Thursday, July 7, 2016, in Dallas. Ahrens was a senior corporal on the Dallas police force. Patrick Zamarripa is pictured in this undated family handout photo. Zamarripa, an U.S. Navy veteran, is one of the officers killed in an attack in which five police officers were shot dead at a protest decrying police shootings of black men according to media reports and his friends on social media. Berrien County Sheriff's Deputies and Michigan State Police stand guard at Berrien County Courthouse where several people where shot this afternoon on July 11, 2016 in Saint Joseph, Michigan. According to reports, three people were killed in the shooting, including the suspect.
Michael Krol is pictured in this handout photo. Krol, a former employee of the Wayne County Sheriff's Office, is one of the officers killed in an attack in which five police officers were shot dead at a protest decrying police shootings of black men according to local media.
Police did not identify the suspect, but a U.S. government official told Reuters he was Gavin Long, of Kansas City, Missouri. Long, who was black, was reported to be 29 years old.
According to the Pentagon, Long served in the Marines from 2005 until 2010, achieving the rank of sergeant. A data network specialist, he was deployed to Iraq from June 2008 until January 2009, earning several medals and commendations.
Authorities declined to offer a possible motive for the attack in Louisiana's capital, a city with a long history of distrust between African-Americans and law enforcement, which was inflamed by Sterling's death.
Social media postings linked to an individual named Gavin Long and a Kansas City address cordoned off by police included a July 10 YouTube video saying he was fed up with mistreatment of blacks and suggesting only violence and financial pressure would bring change.
He also said he was speaking from Dallas after going there to protest.
"It's only fighting back or money. That's all they care about," he said to the camera. "Revenue and blood, revenue and blood, revenue and blood."
In a separate video, he hinted that should "anything happen" to him, he wanted viewers to know he was "not affiliated" with any particular movement or group.
"I'm affiliated with the spirit of justice, nothing more nothing less," he said. "I thought my own thoughts, I made my own decisions."
This undated photo made available by the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office shows deputy Brad Garafola. Garafola and at least two other Baton Rouge law enforcement officers investigating a report of a man with an assault rifle were killed Sunday, July 17, 2016, less than two weeks after a black man was fatally shot by police here in a confrontation that sparked nightly protests that reverberated nationwide. (East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office via AP)
This undated photo made available by the Baton Rouge Police Dept. shows officer Montrell Jackson. Jackson, 32, has been identified as one of the police officers killed in a shooting early Sunday, July 17, 2016, in Baton Rouge, La. (Baton Rouge Police Dept. via AP)
This undated photo made available by the Baton Rouge Police Dept. shows police officer Matthew Gerald. Gerald, 41, was killed by a gunman in Baton Rouge, LA., Sunday, July 17, 2016. (Baton Rouge Police Dept. via AP) A police officer wears a black band of mourning over his shield while attending a vigil after a fatal shooting of Baton Rouge policemen, at Saint John the Baptist Church in Zachary, Louisiana, July 17, 2016. REUTERS/Jeffrey Dubinsky Police officers attend a vigil after a fatal shooting of Baton Rouge policemen, at Saint John the Baptist Church in Zachary, Louisiana, July 17, 2016.
The man behind the July 17 attack that killed three law officers and injured three others is now identified to be Gavin Long from Kansas City, Missouri. He’s a former Marine, who spent time in Iraq. (Pictured) Deputy Brad Garafola, officer Montrell Jackson, and officer Matthew Gerald — the victims of the July 17 shootout in Baton Rouge.
A second government source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said an emergency 911 call may have been used to lure Baton Rouge police.
Edmonson said several officers came under fire as police responded to a report of a man dressed in black standing behind a store holding a rifle.
In the ensuing pandemonium caught on a recording of emergency radio traffic, police repeatedly report: "Officer down" and "deputy down" as officers swarmed the area, ultimately confronting the gunman. The episode was over in about eight minutes.
Killed were Montrell Jackson, 32, a new father who had served for 10 years with the Baton Rouge Police, Matthew Gerald, 41, a newly minted officer with a military background, and Sheriff's Deputy Brad Garafola, 45, a father of four.
President Barack Obama condemned the attack, vowing justice would be done and calling on Americans to focus on unity.
"We as a nation have to be loud and clear that nothing justifies violence on law enforcement," Obama said in televised remarks.
"We need to temper our words and open our hearts, all of us."
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards called the shootings an "unspeakable, heinous attack" that served no purpose.
"There simply is no place for more violence. That doesn't help anyone, it doesn't further the conversation, it doesn't address any injustice, perceived or real," he told reporters.
Obama has sought to balance concerns about police abuses, largely against African-Americans, while paying tribute to fallen officers.
He attended a service last week for the five Dallas police officers killed by a black former soldier who opened fire at the end of a protest on July 7, and denounced the Sterling and Castile slayings.
Those killings and the reprisal attack on Dallas police by a suspect found to have embraced militant black nationalism renewed tension over racial justice and guns just as America's presidential campaign went into high gear. The Dallas gunman, Micah Johnson, 25, was killed by police deploying a bomb-carrying robot.
The violence has also heightened security concerns, notably in Cleveland and Philadelphia, hosts to this week's Republican National Convention and next week's Democratic National Convention, respectively, which are expected to formally nominate Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton for the Nov. 8 election.
"We demand law and order," Trump said on Facebook on Sunday.
Police officers stand in front of an East Baton Rouge police car with bullet holes as it's towed away from the scene where three police officers were killed this morning on July 17, 2016 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The suspect, identified as Gavin Long of Kansas City, is dead after killing three police officers and injuring three more.© Sean Gardner/Getty Images Police officers stand in front of an East Baton Rouge police car with bullet holes as it's towed away from the scene where three police officers were killed this morning on July 17, 2016 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The…
Clinton, in a statement, urged Americans to "stand together to reject violence and strengthen our communities."
The head of a Cleveland police union, Steve Loomis, said he was concerned about copycat shootings and called on Ohio Gov. John Kasich to declare a state of emergency and suspend laws allowing for the open carry of firearms during the Republican convention.
A Kasich spokeswoman said the governor did not have the power to suspend the open-carry law.
In Baton Rough July 18 (Reuters) - Authorities sought to learn more on Monday about a decorated ex-U.S. Marine sergeant who killed three police officers in Baton Rouge, some two weeks after police there shot dead a black man, sparking nationwide protests including one shattered by the massacre of five Dallas policemen.
The suspect, dressed in black and armed with a rifle, was shot dead on Sunday morning in a gunfight with police who converged on the scene of a confrontation that Mayor Kip Holden said began as an "ambush-style" attack.
Two Baton Rouge Police Department officers and one sheriff's deputy were killed, and one sheriff's deputy was critically wounded. Another officer and one other deputy suffered less severe wounds.
Col. Mike Edmonson, superintendent of the Louisiana State Police, told a news conference the gunman was believed to have acted alone.
It was not immediately clear whether there was a link between the bloodshed and unrest over the police killings of two black men in questionable circumstances this month - Alton Sterling, 37, in Baton Rouge on July 5, and Philando Castile, 32, near St. Paul, Minnesota, on July 6.
Michael Krol is pictured in this handout photo. Krol, a former employee of the Wayne County Sheriff's Office, is one of the officers killed in an attack in which five police officers were shot dead at a protest decrying police shootings of black men according to local media Brent Thompson - one of the officers killed in Dallas police shootings. This undated photo provided by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department shows former Deputy Lorne Ahrens, who served the county from 1991 to 2002. He was one of the five police officers killed in shootings Thursday, July 7, 2016, in Dallas. Ahrens was a senior corporal on the Dallas police force. Patrick Zamarripa is pictured in this undated family handout photo. Zamarripa, an U.S. Navy veteran, is one of the officers killed in an attack in which five police officers were shot dead at a protest decrying police shootings of black men according to media reports and his friends on social media. Berrien County Sheriff's Deputies and Michigan State Police stand guard at Berrien County Courthouse where several people where shot this afternoon on July 11, 2016 in Saint Joseph, Michigan. According to reports, three people were killed in the shooting, including the suspect.
Michael Krol is pictured in this handout photo. Krol, a former employee of the Wayne County Sheriff's Office, is one of the officers killed in an attack in which five police officers were shot dead at a protest decrying police shootings of black men according to local media.
Police did not identify the suspect, but a U.S. government official told Reuters he was Gavin Long, of Kansas City, Missouri. Long, who was black, was reported to be 29 years old.
According to the Pentagon, Long served in the Marines from 2005 until 2010, achieving the rank of sergeant. A data network specialist, he was deployed to Iraq from June 2008 until January 2009, earning several medals and commendations.
Authorities declined to offer a possible motive for the attack in Louisiana's capital, a city with a long history of distrust between African-Americans and law enforcement, which was inflamed by Sterling's death.
Social media postings linked to an individual named Gavin Long and a Kansas City address cordoned off by police included a July 10 YouTube video saying he was fed up with mistreatment of blacks and suggesting only violence and financial pressure would bring change.
He also said he was speaking from Dallas after going there to protest.
"It's only fighting back or money. That's all they care about," he said to the camera. "Revenue and blood, revenue and blood, revenue and blood."
In a separate video, he hinted that should "anything happen" to him, he wanted viewers to know he was "not affiliated" with any particular movement or group.
"I'm affiliated with the spirit of justice, nothing more nothing less," he said. "I thought my own thoughts, I made my own decisions."
This undated photo made available by the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office shows deputy Brad Garafola. Garafola and at least two other Baton Rouge law enforcement officers investigating a report of a man with an assault rifle were killed Sunday, July 17, 2016, less than two weeks after a black man was fatally shot by police here in a confrontation that sparked nightly protests that reverberated nationwide. (East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office via AP)
This undated photo made available by the Baton Rouge Police Dept. shows officer Montrell Jackson. Jackson, 32, has been identified as one of the police officers killed in a shooting early Sunday, July 17, 2016, in Baton Rouge, La. (Baton Rouge Police Dept. via AP)
This undated photo made available by the Baton Rouge Police Dept. shows police officer Matthew Gerald. Gerald, 41, was killed by a gunman in Baton Rouge, LA., Sunday, July 17, 2016. (Baton Rouge Police Dept. via AP) A police officer wears a black band of mourning over his shield while attending a vigil after a fatal shooting of Baton Rouge policemen, at Saint John the Baptist Church in Zachary, Louisiana, July 17, 2016. REUTERS/Jeffrey Dubinsky Police officers attend a vigil after a fatal shooting of Baton Rouge policemen, at Saint John the Baptist Church in Zachary, Louisiana, July 17, 2016.
The man behind the July 17 attack that killed three law officers and injured three others is now identified to be Gavin Long from Kansas City, Missouri. He’s a former Marine, who spent time in Iraq. (Pictured) Deputy Brad Garafola, officer Montrell Jackson, and officer Matthew Gerald — the victims of the July 17 shootout in Baton Rouge.
A second government source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said an emergency 911 call may have been used to lure Baton Rouge police.
Edmonson said several officers came under fire as police responded to a report of a man dressed in black standing behind a store holding a rifle.
In the ensuing pandemonium caught on a recording of emergency radio traffic, police repeatedly report: "Officer down" and "deputy down" as officers swarmed the area, ultimately confronting the gunman. The episode was over in about eight minutes.
Killed were Montrell Jackson, 32, a new father who had served for 10 years with the Baton Rouge Police, Matthew Gerald, 41, a newly minted officer with a military background, and Sheriff's Deputy Brad Garafola, 45, a father of four.
President Barack Obama condemned the attack, vowing justice would be done and calling on Americans to focus on unity.
"We as a nation have to be loud and clear that nothing justifies violence on law enforcement," Obama said in televised remarks.
"We need to temper our words and open our hearts, all of us."
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards called the shootings an "unspeakable, heinous attack" that served no purpose.
"There simply is no place for more violence. That doesn't help anyone, it doesn't further the conversation, it doesn't address any injustice, perceived or real," he told reporters.
Obama has sought to balance concerns about police abuses, largely against African-Americans, while paying tribute to fallen officers.
He attended a service last week for the five Dallas police officers killed by a black former soldier who opened fire at the end of a protest on July 7, and denounced the Sterling and Castile slayings.
Those killings and the reprisal attack on Dallas police by a suspect found to have embraced militant black nationalism renewed tension over racial justice and guns just as America's presidential campaign went into high gear. The Dallas gunman, Micah Johnson, 25, was killed by police deploying a bomb-carrying robot.
The violence has also heightened security concerns, notably in Cleveland and Philadelphia, hosts to this week's Republican National Convention and next week's Democratic National Convention, respectively, which are expected to formally nominate Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton for the Nov. 8 election.
"We demand law and order," Trump said on Facebook on Sunday.
Police officers stand in front of an East Baton Rouge police car with bullet holes as it's towed away from the scene where three police officers were killed this morning on July 17, 2016 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The suspect, identified as Gavin Long of Kansas City, is dead after killing three police officers and injuring three more.© Sean Gardner/Getty Images Police officers stand in front of an East Baton Rouge police car with bullet holes as it's towed away from the scene where three police officers were killed this morning on July 17, 2016 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The…
Clinton, in a statement, urged Americans to "stand together to reject violence and strengthen our communities."
The head of a Cleveland police union, Steve Loomis, said he was concerned about copycat shootings and called on Ohio Gov. John Kasich to declare a state of emergency and suspend laws allowing for the open carry of firearms during the Republican convention.
A Kasich spokeswoman said the governor did not have the power to suspend the open-carry law.
