Dallas marks 10 years since deadly downtown ambush that killed 5 law enforcement officers

Dallas is marking 10 years since the July 7, 2016, ambush that killed five law enforcement officers during a downtown protest, one of the deadliest attacks on police in modern U.S. history. The shooting left four Dallas police officers and one DART officer dead, injured several others and forever changed policing in the city.

The shooting, which began during a peaceful protest, was the deadliest incident for U.S. law enforcement since 9/11. Shortly after 7 p.m., an estimated 800 protesters gathered downtown and marched along Main Street following the police killings of two Black men in Minnesota and Louisiana earlier that week. Demonstrators chanted messages including "Black Lives Matter" and "Hands up, don't shoot" during the peaceful protest.

According to witness statements, nearly 100 police officers flanked the demonstrators and, while passions ran high, the march remained peaceful.

Just before 9 p.m., the first shots were heard.

The gunman, Micah Johnson, opened fire on officers near the protest route before moving through downtown and eventually entering El Centro College, where he exchanged gunfire with police. After several hours of negotiations, Dallas police used a bomb-equipped robot to kill Johnson, ending the standoff in the early hours of July 8.

Dallas Police Department officers Michael Krol, Lorne Ahrens, Patrick Zamarripa and Michael Smith, along with DART Officer Brent Thompson, were killed. Several other officers and civilians were injured before Johnson was killed.

"The events of July 7, 2016, forever changed the Dallas police department," former Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia said in a previous statement. "There is not a day that goes by that we do not think of our fallen ... Each day we put on our uniform and our badge we honor and carry on their legacy by serving our city with respect, dignity and fairness. We will never forget."