A Missouri man ambushed and killed three law officers and wounded three others in Baton Rouge on Sunday during a time when police nationwide and in the Louisiana city in particular have been on high alert after five officers were killed in a Dallas ambush July 7.
The officers were responding to a call of shots fired when they were gunned down in an apparent “ambush” around 9 a.m. local time, said Baton Rouge Mayor Kip Holden.
Two of the officers killed were from the Baton Rouge Police Department. They were identified as Officer Montrell Jackson, 32, a 10-year veteran, and Matthew Gerald, 41, who had been serving for less than a year, officials said.
Also killed was Brad Garafola, 45, a 24-year veteran of the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s office, officials said.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said, “our hearts are heavy as we struggle to cope with the horrific shootings of police officers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana – a cowardly attack that resulted in three deaths. These heroes put their lives on the line every day to protect their fellow citizens and the senseless manner in which their lives were taken is appalling.”
“The tragic events of the last few weeks – from Falcon Heights to Dallas to Baton Rouge – are deeply troubling and cannot be allowed to persist. We must not let fear and intolerance overtake our better angels. We must instead choose unity. It is in our darkest moments that we must show our greatest strength.”
“Now more than ever, we must come together to find hope, achieve progress and make change for all Americans. On behalf of all New Yorkers, my thoughts and prayers are with the families and victims of this terrible tragedy,” said Cuomo in a statement circulated to the media.
NYC Public Advocate Tish James shared her thoughts and prayers on the shooting in Baton Rouge with the loved ones of the police officers killed Sunday morning. James wished a speedy and full recovery to those officers who are injured.
“There are those that see the answer to injustice as retaliation and retribution, but we know that an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth will only make the whole world blind and toothless. Demanding civil rights for all and supporting our law enforcement are not contradictory ideas and must be at the root of our desire to move forward as a united society. We must heal together by restoring trust in our criminal justice system and bringing peace to our communities,” said Ms. James in a statement released late on Sunday.
Assemblyman Michael Blake expressed his dismay and sorrow at the shooting of Baton Rouge police officers on Sunday morning. Blake said his “thoughts and prayers are with the families, friends and loved ones of the officers who lost their lives and with the officers who remain hospitalized.”
“Let me be absolutely clear. While I justifiably am upset by the continual loss of life of Black men at the hands of some members of law enforcement, violence against police officers is unacceptable as they do not deserve to lose their lives either. These moments do not help the cause of Justice and healing; rather, they further divide us and set back the steps of progress,” wrote Blake in an email to the media and supporters.
Reporting by NBC News, CNN and aditional wire reports
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