Nearly a decade later, Dallas honors five police officers killed in 2016 ambush
Almost a decade later, the pain still remains for the families and friends of the five Dallas police officers who were ambushed and killed in downtown Dallas on July 7, 2016.
On Monday at El Centro Community College in Dallas, dozens of officers gathered to remember the officers killed 9 years ago. On the same street where the officers spent some of their final moments, a wreath was placed as a reminder of what happened.
For Rick Zamarippa, whose son, Officer Patricio "Patrick" Zamarippa, was killed, it's a pain that never fades.
"These guys ran towards danger, they didn't stop," said Rick Zamarippa. "[Patrick] was 32 years old. I feel the same, nothing's changed. It's hard, it's tough… living with it every day.:"
Patrick Zamarippa was one of five police officers killed on that fateful day after suspect and army veteran Micah Zavier Johnson opened fire during a protest in Dallas over fatal police shootings of Black men in other states. Officers Lorne Ahrens, Michael Krol, Michael Smith, and Brent Thompson also died in the ambush.
"What these officers sacrificed, they sacrificed their lives, their families are hurting, you know," Rick Zamarippa said.
Dallas Police Chief Daniel Comeaux and Texas Police Commissioner Rob Kyker attended the event, acknowledging others who were injured, like Officer Bryan Shaw.
"The rest of us we were just there doing what we were told to do, so I just want to honor them they are the ones who paid the ultimate sacrifice that day," said Shaw.
In what is still the deadliest day for U.S. law enforcement since September 11, organizer Dwayne Horner said we cannot forget those officers who died on this day nearly a decade ago.
"A lot of people came out the week afterward, we will never forget, this is very important to us and they made promises to the community and they made promises to those families, and we have to honor those promises," Horne said.
