Per local news, four Dallas Police Officers were attacked Halloween night around 7:00 PM while assisting a motorist near Mesquite, Texas.

Two Dallas police officers along with two other officers from Mesquite were targeted, according to Dallas Police Association President Mike Mata. All four officers were in uniform at the time of the shooting. “They were waiting on a wrecker and directing traffic when all of the sudden bullets are coming their way,” said Mata.

Immediately following the initial shot, four or five additional shots were fired at the Dallas and Mesquite police officers forcing the officers to take cover. The officers were able to safely run toward the area of the gunshots in an attempt to locate a suspect or suspects.

As officers were running, they heard screaming coming from 8300 La Prada Drive. Mata said a 19 year-old believed to be the gunman was found and arrested for unlawful carrying of a weapon. His gun is now being tested to see it was indeed the weapon used in the shooting.  An investigation is proceeding.

“…it absolutely was intentional and unfortunately, it’s a narrative that’s being carried across the country by a very small percentage, but vocal amount of people,” Mata said. He said across the country, there’s several recent examples of unsuspecting officers targeted for no reason. One high profile example of this includes the attack on officers in California in September.

Additionally, there have been multiple calls by candidates to defund the police and/or remove weapons from them. One candidate even suggested officers should be armed only with a flashlight and radio. Dallas Police officers have been increasingly attacked on the budget front by local city council members.

Dallas Police Officers Attacked – July 7, 2016

The shooting is a reminder of the attack on officers on July 7, 2016 or the 7/7 attacks.