# Four cops dead, at least 7 more wounded by snipers at Dallas protest **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 8, 2016, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/four-cops-dead-at-least-7-more-wounded-by-snipers-at-dallas-protest/759355 "2016-07-08T04:10:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2016, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/four-cops-dead-at-least-7-more-wounded-by-snipers-at-dallas-protest/759355/1 "2016-07-08T04:10:25Z")
[Cite](Four officers are dead, including three Dallas police officers and one DART transit officer, after two snipers opened fire on police at the end of a protest against nationwide officer-involved shootings, officials say.) Way to go, assholes! A sure way to calm the nation’s cops and make them less likely to jump the gun in situations they perceive as dangerous. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2016, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/four-cops-dead-at-least-7-more-wounded-by-snipers-at-dallas-protest/759355/2 "2016-07-08T04:15:18Z")
Your link does not work for me. NPR has it as 3 killed, 7 injured (some seriously), as of about 45 minutes ago. They say one suspect is cornered, and they are investigating the possibility of a bomb. ---
**Author:** ![Memnon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@Memnon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Memnon)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2016, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/four-cops-dead-at-least-7-more-wounded-by-snipers-at-dallas-protest/759355/3 "2016-07-08T04:16:54Z")
Something like this was bound to happen sooner or later. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2016, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/four-cops-dead-at-least-7-more-wounded-by-snipers-at-dallas-protest/759355/4 "2016-07-08T04:17:36Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > [Cite](Four officers are dead, including three Dallas police officers and one DART transit officer, after two snipers opened fire on police at the end of a protest against nationwide officer-involved shootings, officials say.) > > Way to go, assholes! A sure way to calm the nation’s cops and make them less likely to jump the gun in situations they perceive as dangerous. I’m just guessing here, but I’d bet that the motive of the two snipers who deliberately ensconced themselves in elevated positions in order to pick off cops with long-range fire at the end of the demonstration was not “to calm the nation’s cops”. Sniper terrorists are murderers looking for more opportunities to murder. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2016, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/four-cops-dead-at-least-7-more-wounded-by-snipers-at-dallas-protest/759355/5 "2016-07-08T04:19:08Z")
> [@Roderick Femm](#): > > Your link does not work for me. Sorry, let me try again. [Cite](http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Protests-in-Dallas-Over-Alton-Sterling-Death-385784431.html) ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2016, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/four-cops-dead-at-least-7-more-wounded-by-snipers-at-dallas-protest/759355/6 "2016-07-08T04:21:23Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > I’m just guessing here, but I’d bet that the motive of the two snipers who deliberately ensconced themselves in elevated positions in order to pick off cops with long-range fire at the end of the demonstration was not “to calm the nation’s cops”. > > Sniper terrorists are murderers looking for more opportunities to murder. They may see themselves as “shooting back.” ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2016, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/four-cops-dead-at-least-7-more-wounded-by-snipers-at-dallas-protest/759355/7 "2016-07-08T04:37:02Z")
> [@Peremensoe](#): > > They may see themselves as “shooting back.” Even if the sniper terrorists have got some kind of a legitimate grievance against cops (and probably not even the particular cops they were shooting at, in any case), they’re sacrificing the safety of all the innocent protestors and their communities to their own bloodthirsty longing for revenge. No empathy. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2016, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/four-cops-dead-at-least-7-more-wounded-by-snipers-at-dallas-protest/759355/8 "2016-07-08T04:42:18Z")
IMO, they’re sacrificing the safety of black people all over the country. Scared and wary cops are the prime reason for many of the shootings that have been getting publicity lately, and this is only going to make them even more scared and wary. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2016, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/four-cops-dead-at-least-7-more-wounded-by-snipers-at-dallas-protest/759355/9 "2016-07-08T04:49:35Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > Your link does not work for me. > > NPR has it as 3 killed, 7 injured (some seriously), as of about 45 minutes ago. They say one suspect is cornered, and they are investigating the possibility of a bomb. 4 killed, 7 injured as of 11:48 Central, with several of the injured in critical condition. Apparently they were solely targeting law enforcement, as there have been no reports whatsoever of protester or bystander casualties so far. And FWIW, “sniper” isn’t quite right- they were quick-firing on the videos shown on the news, not making single shots, sniper-style. The only thing that makes it sniperish is that they were firing from parking garages, not at street level. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c57346/32.png) [@Little\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Pig)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2016, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/four-cops-dead-at-least-7-more-wounded-by-snipers-at-dallas-protest/759355/10 "2016-07-08T04:56:07Z")
AR-15 ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2016, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/four-cops-dead-at-least-7-more-wounded-by-snipers-at-dallas-protest/759355/11 "2016-07-08T05:10:21Z")
Thanks **bump** , I stand corrected, although it seems the news media are still referring to the shooters as snipers. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2016, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/four-cops-dead-at-least-7-more-wounded-by-snipers-at-dallas-protest/759355/12 "2016-07-08T05:18:30Z")
Earlier today on this board, someone posted that it wouldn’t be long before people began shooting cops in the ear while they ate donuts in their squad cars. No, not long at all. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2016, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/four-cops-dead-at-least-7-more-wounded-by-snipers-at-dallas-protest/759355/13 "2016-07-08T05:25:09Z")
I would still say that shooting from cover counts as “sniping.” This is an idiotic tragedy, and will lead the damn fool contingent of U.S. politics – the Trump brigade – to dismiss all legitimate complaints regarding police-against-black violence. If the guy doing this wanted to “get back” at bad cops for racial-involved shootings, he just gave a bloody ton of ammunition to the enemies of that viewpoint. (He isn’t doing gun freedom advocates any favors either.) ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2016, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/four-cops-dead-at-least-7-more-wounded-by-snipers-at-dallas-protest/759355/14 "2016-07-08T05:28:26Z")
Horrible, horrible all around. Let’s thank Og that folks such as these are few in number, and not lose sight of the fact that we still have a real problem with cops shooting people, especially black people, in this country. Yes, I agree with the OP that this type of action is going to make things worse, not better. MLK is turning over in his grave. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2016, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/four-cops-dead-at-least-7-more-wounded-by-snipers-at-dallas-protest/759355/15 "2016-07-08T05:30:45Z")
That’s how race war works. Each side’s violence justifies the other’s. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2016, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/four-cops-dead-at-least-7-more-wounded-by-snipers-at-dallas-protest/759355/16 "2016-07-08T05:31:59Z")
Something just worth mentioning is the Dallas Police Department is considered a model for reform and race relations. [Here](https://twitter.com/DallasPD/status/751222360867418112/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) is a picture of two DPD officers happily taking a photo with one of the protesters before all this happened–and in the last few years these are the sorts of interactions that Dallas has worked to implement in its police force. [Here](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-watch/wp/2015/01/12/what-dallass-historically-low-murder-rate-can-teach-us-about-policing/) is a good article summarizing the reforms Dallas has implemented in the last few years. It’s just worth noting that there are thousands of police departments in the United States, and some actually do take good policing seriously. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2016, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/four-cops-dead-at-least-7-more-wounded-by-snipers-at-dallas-protest/759355/17 "2016-07-08T05:35:17Z")
The death of four police officers is just as much a tragedy as the death of Alton Sterling is. It shouldn’t be an us vs them situation. We shouldn’t be picking sides and deciding who deserves to get killed. The enemy here is unnecessary shootings not the victims. ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2016, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/four-cops-dead-at-least-7-more-wounded-by-snipers-at-dallas-protest/759355/18 "2016-07-08T05:36:49Z")
I disagree, Alton Sterling was a man with multiple felony convictions, including at least one incident that caused him to become a registered sex offender. He was illegally carrying a firearm. His shooting may or may not be legally justified, but I’ll take 1000 less of him and 1000 more of the four cops who died today any day of the week. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2016, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/four-cops-dead-at-least-7-more-wounded-by-snipers-at-dallas-protest/759355/19 "2016-07-08T05:37:00Z")
> [@Peremensoe](#): > > That’s how race war works. Each side’s violence justifies the other’s. > ☹ Some of us are not on either “side”. How about you? ---
**Author:** ![russian\_heel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f05b48/32.png) [@russian\_heel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/russian_heel)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2016, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/four-cops-dead-at-least-7-more-wounded-by-snipers-at-dallas-protest/759355/20 "2016-07-08T05:39:28Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > Even if the sniper terrorists have got some kind of a legitimate grievance against cops (and probably not even the particular cops they were shooting at, in any case), they’re sacrificing the safety of all the innocent protestors and their communities to their own bloodthirsty longing for revenge. No empathy. Sorry, but what legitimate grievance might someone have at a cop to shoot at them like a coward sniper? The witch hunt against cops because of the actions of a few bad apples has lead to this; let’s support our cops and not end up like Brazil or Rio where cops get shot by the many hundreds a year! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/four-cops-dead-at-least-7-more-wounded-by-snipers-at-dallas-protest/759355.md?page=2)