DHAKA: President Barack Obama has urged the US to “reject despair” as he paid tribute to five police officers killed during a deadly sniper attack in Dallas.
He told a memorial service in the city the US must “try to find some meaning amidst our sorrow” and could unite.
His trip came amid mounting racial tensions across the country, reports the BBC.
Micah Johnson killed the Dallas officers at a protest held over the recent police shootings of African Americans in Minnesota and Louisiana.
Before he was killed by police, he said he was angry about the shootings.
Meanwhile, protests over excessive police force against black Americans have been held in cities across the US.
But speaking at Morton H Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas on Tuesday (July 12), Obama urged the country not to despair.
Americans are struggling with what has happened in the past week, he said, and events appeared to have revealed “the deepest fault line of our democracy”.
He honored the bravery of police officers and said fewer people were being mourned at the service because of the courage of the officers killed.
The service featured five portraits of the officers and five empty chairs.
Ex-President George W Bush, a Texan, praised the police: “Their courage is our protection and shield.”
And Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings, who spoke first, said: “The soul of our city was pierced.”
First Lady Michelle Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, will also hold a private meeting with the families of the victims on Wednesday (July 13).
BDST: 0940 HRS, JUL 13, 2016
BD