Dallas police chief: Suspect killed by robot exploding bomb

Dallas Police Chief David Brown said a suspect in the sniper attack on his officers died when a robot detonated a bomb.

“The suspect is deceased as a result of detonating the bomb,” he said Friday during a press conference in Dallas. “The reporting that the suspect killed himself is not accurate. We’ve confirmed that he’s been deceased because of the detonation of the bomb.”

{mosads}Brown added the suspect’s death occurred after a tense standoff with police negotiators late Thursday evening.

“Our hostage negotiator did an exceptional job getting this suspect to talk before he died during the hours of negotiating. He eventually broke down.”

Five police officers were killed and seven were wounded during an “ambush-style” attack late Thursday, the deadliest on law enforcement since 9/11. Two civilians were also shot and injured.

The killings took place during a protest against the use of deadly force by police against African-Americans.

Protests and vigils were held nationwide Thursday after the fatal shootings of two black men, one in Baton Rouge, La., and the other in Falcon Heights, Minn. Both incidents were caught on video.

President Obama on late Thursday denounced the attacks in Dallas, arguing racial tension does not justify violence.

“Anyone involved in the senseless murders will be held accountable,” he said at the NATO summit meeting in Warsaw, Poland. “Justice will be done.”