President Obama calls Dallas sniper attacks 'vicious, calculated, and despicable'


President Obama on Friday called the Dallas sniper attacks that killed five police officers at a protest against officer-involved shootings Thursday night "vicious, calculated, and despicable." Speaking from Warsaw, Poland, where he is involved with the NATO summit, the president said that, while we don't know all the facts about the shootings, "there is no possible justification for these kinds of attacks, or any violence against law enforcement." He said the FBI has been in touch with Dallas police and will offer any assistance necessary, and asked Americans to say a prayer for the victims, "keep them in their thoughts and as a nation, let's remember to express our profound gratitude to our men and women in blue, not just today, but every day."
On Thursday, following recent deadly shootings of black men by police, Obama said such incidents were "symptomatic of a broader set of racial disparities that exist in our criminal justice system."
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Jessica Hullinger is a writer and former deputy editor of The Week Digital. Originally from the American Midwest, she completed a degree in journalism at Indiana University Bloomington before relocating to New York City, where she pursued a career in media. After joining The Week as an intern in 2010, she served as the title’s audience development manager, senior editor and deputy editor, as well as a regular guest on “The Week Unwrapped” podcast. Her writing has featured in other publications including Popular Science, Fast Company, Fortune, and Self magazine, and she loves covering science and climate-related issues.
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