Page 8A NATION/WORLD East Oregonian Friday, July 8, 2016 Four oficers killed, seven injured at protest By TERRY WALLACE Associated Press DALLAS — At least two snipers opened ire on police oficers in Dallas on Thursday night, killing four oficers and injuring seven others during protests over two recent fatal police shootings of black men, police said. Dallas Police Chief David Brown told reporters the snipers ired “ambush style” upon the oficers. Mayor Mike Rawlings said one member of the public was wounded in the gunire. Police later said in a statement that a suspect was is in custody and a “person of interest” had surrendered. They said a suspicious package was being secured by a bomb squad. The gunire broke out around 8:45 p.m. Thursday while hundreds of people were gathered to protest fatal police shootings this week in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and suburban St. Paul, Minne- sota. The protests in Dallas were among several across the country that were held after a Minnesota oficer on Wednesday fatally shot Philando Castile while he was in a car with a woman and a child in a St. Paul suburb. The aftermath of the shooting was livestreamed in a widely shared Facebook video. A day earlier, Alton Sterling was shot in Louisiana after being pinned to the pavement by two white oficers. That, too, was captured on a cellphone video. Video footage from the scene showed that protesters were marching along a street in downtown, about half a mile from City Hall, when the shots erupted and the crowd scattered, seeking cover. Maria R. Olivas/The Dallas Morning News via AP Dallas police respond after shots were ired during a protest over recent fatal shootings by police in Louisi- ana and Minnesota, Thursday in Dallas. Brown said that it appeared the shooters “planned to injure and kill as many oficers as they could.” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott released a statement saying he has directed the Texas Department of Public Safety director to offer “whatever assistance the City of Dallas needs at this time.” “In times like this we must remember — and emphasize — the importance of uniting as Americans,” Abbott said. The search for the shooters stretched throughout downtown, an area of hotels, restaurants, businesses and some residential apartments. The scene was chaotic, with helicopters hovering overhead and oficers with automatic riles on the street corners. “Everyone just started running,” Devante Odom, 21, told The Dallas Morning News. “We lost touch with two of our friends just trying to get out of there.” Carlos Harris, who lives downtown told the news- paper that the shooters “were strategic. It was tap tap pause. Tap tap pause.” Demonstrator Brittaney Peete told The Associated Press that she didn’t hear the gunshots, but she “saw people rushing back toward me saying there was an active shooter.” Peete said she saw a woman trip and nearly get trampled. Other protests across the U.S. on Thursday were peaceful. In midtown Manhattan, protesters irst gathered in Union Square Park where they chanted “The people united, never be divided!” and “What do we want? Justice. When do we want it? Now!” Ting Shen/The Dallas Morning News via AP A Dallas Area Rapid Transit police oficer receives comfort at the Baylor University Hospital emergency room entrance Thursday in Dallas. Switch to U.S. Cellular ® now and get 50% off iPhone 6s. On the network that works in the Middle of Anywhere. Shooting of ‘Mr. Phil’ shocks colleagues at Minnesota school By CARLA K. JOHNSON Associated Press Philando Castile put on a suit and tie to interview for a supervisory position in the school district where he had worked since he was a teen- ager. He told the interviewer his goal was to one day “sit on the other side of this table.” His upbeat disposition won him the job. “He stood out because he was happy, friendly and related to people well,” said Katherine Holmquist-Burks, principal at J.J. Hill Montes- sori in St. Paul, Minnesota, who hired him to oversee the school cafeteria. Now, colleagues and family members are trying to understand why a police oficer in a St. Paul suburb fatally shot Castile, 32, after stopping his car Wednesday night. The Justice Department announced it would monitor the state investigation of the shooting, which Gov. Mark Dayton said would look at whether Castile’s race played a role. Castile was black. A passenger in the car, Castile’s girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, said the oficer was Asian. She said he opened ire when Castile reached for his identiication. She said Castile had a license to carry a irearm. Castile graduated from Central High School in St. Paul in 2001 and joined the school district’s Nutrition Services Department when he was 19. He worked at two schools before getting his promotion at J.J. Hill in 2014. Students at the magnet school came to know him as “Mr. Phil,” a gregarious man who sneaked students extra graham crackers and other treats in the lunch line. “He always gave you a high-ive after lunch,” 9-year-old Jas Gilman said. Holmquist-Burks, who retired last week, said he loved his job and never missed work or drew a complaint. Castile super- vised two employees and ran the cafeteria for a school with 530 students and 85 staff. He helped “create a warm, welcoming friendly environ- ment in our cafeteria,” she AP Photo/Jim Mone A man displays his thoughts where hundreds gathered at the JJ Hill Montesorri School Thurs- day in St. Paul, Minn. for a vigil following the shoot- ing death by police of Phi- lando Castile Wednesday night in Falcon Heights, Minn. after a trafic stop for a broken tail light by St. Anthony police. said. Holmquist-Burks said that after she heard about Castile’s death, she went to the vigil being held at the governor’s mansion. “I want his name respected,” she said. “He was not a bad person. He was a great person. He was a warm person and a gentle spirit. This was a tragedy that he was murdered.” A cellphone video shot by Reynolds immediately after the oficer opened ire indicated the oficer may have believed Castile was reaching for a weapon. Castile got a license to carry a irearm “for safety,” said Dewanda Harris, 52, Castile’s cousin. Harris, of Glendale, Arizona, said she watched Castile grow up in St. Paul alongside her son, who was about the same age. Of the gun, she said, “I discussed it with my son and he began to tell me about them going to the gun range. All of them got licenses to carry,” Harris said of Castile and other family members. “All of them do. They got it to protect themselves.” Harris said Castile would not have posed a threat. “I know he was doing the right thing. Phil was a good kid. I’m stunned by this,” she said. With 3D Touch, Live Photos, 7000 series aluminum, A9 chip, advanced cameras, 4.7-inch Retina HD display, and so much more, you’ll see how with iPhone 6s the only thing that’s changed is everything. Requires Retail Installment Contract, credit approval and mail-in rebate. Things we want you to know: New Shared Connect Plan and Retail Installment Contract required. Device Protection+, Smartphone turn-in and credit approval also required. A $25 Device Activation Fee applies. A Regulatory Cost Recovery Fee (currently $1.82/line/month) applies; this is not a tax or gvmt. required charge. Additional fees (including Device Connection Charges), taxes, terms, conditions and coverage areas apply and may vary by plan, service and phone. Offers valid at participating locations only and cannot be combined. See store or uscellular.com for details. 50% Off Smartphones Promo: 50%-off rebate on select Smartphone devices. Rebate shall be equal to either 50% of device price before taxes or $336, whichever is lower. Rebate fulfilled in the form of a U.S. Cellular Promotional Card issued by MetaBank, ® Member FDIC, pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. Valid only for purchases at U.S. Cellular stores and uscellular.com. Allow 8–10 weeks for processing after final submission. Turned-in Smartphone must be in fully functional, working condition without any liquid damage or broken components, including, but not limited to, a cracked housing. Smartphone must power on and cannot be pin locked. Cracked screens allowed. Device Protection+: Enrollment in Device Protection+ required. The monthly charge for Device Protection+ is $8.99 for Smartphones. A deductible per approved claim applies. You may cancel Device Protection+ anytime. Insurance underwritten by American Bankers Insurance Company of Florida. Service Contract Obligor is Federal Warranty Service Corporation, except in CA (Sureway, Inc.) and OK (Assurant Service Protection, Inc.). Limitations and exclusions apply. For complete details, see an associate for a Device Protection+ brochure. Kansas Customers: In areas in which U.S. Cellular receives support from the Federal Universal Service Fund, all reasonable requests for service must be met. Unresolved questions concerning services availability can be directed to the Kansas Corporation Commission Office of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at 1-800-662-0027. Limited-time offer. Trademarks and trade names are the property of their respective owners. ©2016 U.S. Cellular