Dallas officers shot to death include newlywed, Iraq veteran

DALLAS (AP) – One was a newlywed. Another had survived multiple tours in Iraq.

The stories of the officers gunned down in a sniper attack in Dallas during a protest over recent police shootings of black men emerged Friday as their identities became known. Authorities say five officers were killed and at least seven others wounded in the deadliest day for U.S. law enforcement since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Brent Thompson, 43

Officer Brent Thompson, 43, had worked as an officer for the Dallas Area Rapid Transit authority for the last seven years.

DART Chief James Spiller said Thompson had married another DART officer within the last two weeks.

“Brent was a great officer,” Spiller told MSNBC early Friday. “He has served admirably during his time here at DART.”

Before joining the DART force, Thompson worked from 2004 to 2008 for DynCorp International, an American private military contractor. According to Thompson’s LinkedIn page, he worked as an international police liaison officer, helping teach and mentor Iraqi police. Thompson’s last position was as the company’s chief of operations for southern Iraq, where he helped train teams covering Baghdad to the southern border with Kuwait. He also worked in northern Iraq and in Afghanistan, where he was a team leader and lead mentor to the southern provincial police chief.

“We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of one of our alumni. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends in this most difficult time,” said Mary Lawrence, a spokeswoman for DynCorp, headquartered in McLean, Virginia.

Michael Krol, 40

Michael Krol was a Michigan native who previously worked for the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office in the Detroit area.

According to the news release, Krol worked in the county jail system from 2003 to 2007.

Detriot media reported Krol moved to Dallas in 2007 where he became a police officer with the Dallas Police Department.

“We are saddened by the loss of the dedicated officers in Dallas-one of whom was a former member of this agency-and also the wounding of the other officers,” Wayne County Sheriff Beny Napoleon said in a statement. “Those officers made the ultimate sacrifice and died honoring their oaths to protect and serve. Our thoughts and prayers go out to their families and also the Dallas Police Department.”

A donation fund has been set up to support the fallen officers. Visit ATODallas.org to read more or donate.Patrick Zamarripa, 32

Dallas police officer Patrick Zamarripa had survived three tours in Iraq with the Navy, his father, Rick Zamarripa, told The Washington Post. When he got out of the service five years ago, he joined the Dallas Police Department and recently started working a bicycle patrol in downtown.

“He comes to the United States to protect people here,” Zamarripa said. “And they take his life.”

Officer Zamarripa was married and the father of a 2-year-old daughter. Outside his devotion to helping people, he was an avid Rangers and Cowboys fan, his father said.

When the elder Zamarripa heard about the shootings, he texted his son, as he had many times before to ensure he was OK. This time, for the first time, he got no response.

Michael Smith, 55

A veteran officer of the Dallas Police Department, Sgt. Michael Smith was known as conscientious and professional, according to the Dallas Morning News.

“He was an officer who cared so deeply that he would even dip into his own pocket to pay for his training if needed,” the paper reported.Lorne Ahrens, 48

A resident of Burleson, Texas, Senior Corporal Lorne Ahrens was a former semi-pro football player and 14-year veteran of the Dallas Police Department, according to The Washington Post.

He leaves behind a wife, 10-year-old daughter and 8-year-old son.

How to donate

A donation fund has been set up to support the fallen officers. Visit ATODallas.org to read more or donate.THE INJURED

Seven officers were injured in the shootings. Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings said one of the wounded officers had a bullet go through his leg as three members of his squad were fatally shot around him.

“We care so much about people protesting, and I think it’s their rights. But how we handle it can do a lot of things,” Rawlings said. “One of the things it can do is put our police officers in harm’s way, and we have to be very careful about doing that.”

Three injured DART officers were also identified: Misty McBride, 32, Omar Cannon, 44, and Jesus Retana, 39. One had been released from the hospital, one was being evaluated for surgery, and another was being prepped for surgery Friday morning, NBC reported.

Among the two civilians injured was Shetamia Taylor, 37, who was shot in the right calf, according to sister Theresa Williams. Taylor threw herself over her four sons, ages 12 to 17, when the shooting began.

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