Dallas police chief: Suspect ‘wanted to kill white people’

Dallas Police Chief David Brown said Friday morning that an armed suspect who died after a police standoff cited race before being killed.

“I want to share with you some of the comments from the suspect,” Brown, who is black, said during a news conference, speaking slowly and carefully in offering new details on the deadly shootings the previous night that left five officers dead.

{mosads}Brown said the suspect “said he was upset about Black Lives Matter, he said he was upset about the recent police shootings, the suspect said he was upset at white people.”

“The suspect stated he wanted to kill white people, especially white officers,” Brown said, adding the suspect said he wasn’t affiliated with any groups and was acting alone.

The suspect died after authorities detonated a bomb, according to police.

The police chief described the suspect as a “coward.” Twelve officers from two jurisdictions were shot, with five killed and seven injured. Two civilians were also shot, according to the mayor.

Police said three other suspects were in custody, with the chief saying snipers carried out the attack. Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings said authorities were engaged in a criminal investigation.

The shooting erupted during a protest Thursday night over fatal police-involved shootings this week of black men.

Both shootings were captured on video, in Baton Rouge, La., and suburban St. Paul, Minn., inflaming debate across the country over issues of race and police use of force.