Thousands of police officers joined by ordinary citizens attended the funerals for three of the five policemen shot dead by a sniper in Dallas. The funeral of Officer Lorne Ahrens, 48, of the Dallas Police Department, was held in the suburb of Plano. Mourners were told of Ahrens' work with the Los Angeles County sheriff's department and time as semi-pro football player before moving to Texas and joining the Dallas police force.
The 6ft 5in, 300-pound Ahrens was known as a gentle giant and a voracious reader whose intelligence was equal to his size. Dallas police officer Eddie Coffey described Ahrens as a calming presence and a down-to-earth man. "He was the guy you always wanted to show up as your backup," Coffey said. "He wanted to make sure everyone, from top down, made it home safely."
Magnus Ahrens sits on the wagon carrying his father, Dallas Police Department Senior Corporal Lorne B Ahrens, who was among five police officers shot dead the previous week, during the burial ceremony at Restland Public Safety Memorial Gardens in Dallas, TexasCooper Neill/ReutersMagnus Ahrens carries a folded US flag after the burial ceremony for his father at Restland Public Safety Memorial Gardens in DallasCooper Neill/ReutersA funeral procession of police vehicles leads a hearse carrying the body of Dallas Police Department Senior Corporal Lorne B AhrensRex Curry/ReutersThe hearse carrying the body of Dallas Police Department Senior Corporal Lorne B Ahrens enters Restland Memorial Park in DallasBrandon Wade/ReutersYouths stand with their hands on their hearts as as the motorcade for slain Dallas police officer Lorne Ahrens drives into the cemetery for his funeralCarlo Allegri/ReutersDallas police officer Eddie Coffey reacts while speaking at the funeral for Officer Lorne Ahrens in PlanoCarlo Allegri/ReutersPolice officers pay their respects ahead of the funeral for Officer Lorne Ahrens in Plano, TexasCarlo Allegri/ReutersTrooper Chantz Jackson of the Oklahoma Highway patrol gives a salute back to Preston Chavez, three, in the parking lot for the funeral service for Senior Corporal Lorne Ahrens at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, TexasStewart F House/Getty ImagesBlack bands are seen across the badges on the chests of police officers attending the funeral of slain Dallas police officer Lorne AhrensCarlo Allegri/Reuters
At a Dallas megachurch called The Potter's House, thousands of officers crowded into the funeral for 43-year-old Dallas Area Rapid Transit officer Brent Thompson. His wife Emily, a fellow DART officer whom he had married just two weeks before the attack, told the audience that the shooter, Micah Johnson, was a coward. "You know your hate made us stronger," she said.
Johnson was a former US Army Reserve soldier who told police that he was angry about the killing of two black men in Louisiana and Minnesota earlier that week and wanted to "kill white people", especially police. The shootings were the latest in a series of high-profile police killings of black men in various US cities that have brought intense scrutiny of police use of force, particularly against black suspects.
Relatives grieve as Officer Brent Thompson's coffin is escorted out of the memorial service at The Potter's House in DallasLaura Buckman/AFPPolice officers salutes the coffin of Officer Brent Thompson as it is escorted out of the memorial service at The Potter's House Church in DallasLaura Buckman/AFPA black band is stretched across the shield on a Dallas Area Rapid Transit police motorcycle during the funeral service for DART officer Brent Thompson at the Potter's House Church in DallasJustin Sullivan/Getty Images
A few hundred mourners gathered for a Catholic funeral service in the suburb of Farmers Branch for Dallas Police Sergeant Michael Smith, 55, a former US Army Ranger known for his upbeat attitude and compassionate approach to others. Smith joined the Dallas police force in 1989. He once received a "Cops' Cop" award from the Dallas Police Association.
Members of the New Jersey State Police salute a flag-draped coffin containing the body of slain Dallas police Sgt Michael Smith at Mary Immaculate Catholic Church in Farmers Branch, TexasGJ McCarthy/The Dallas Morning News/ReutersPolice officers hug outside Mary Immaculate Catholic Church for Dallas police Sergeant Michael Smith's funeral serviceCarlo Allegri/Reuters
US President Barack Obama speaks during a memorial service following the multiple police shootings in Dallas, TexasCarlo Allegri/ReutersFirst lady Michelle Obama comforts former President George W Bush during a memorial service in DallasCarlo Allegri/ReutersAn honour guard stands in front of images of the five slain officers during a memorial service in DallasCarlo Allegri/ReutersPolice patches from around the United States are pictured at a makeshift memorial at police headquarters in DallasCarlo Allegri/ReutersA 'Dallas Strong' sign is pictured at a makeshift memorial at police headquarters in DallasCarlo Allegri/ReutersA wreath stands in front of the Dallas Police department headquartersJustin Sullivan/Getty ImagesA man with a Mohawk and 'Back The Blue' written on his head attends a candlelight vigil at Dallas City HallCarlo Allegri/ReutersA man offers free hugs to mourners at a memorial in front of the Dallas Police department headquartersJustin Sullivan/Getty ImagesThe shadows of three police officers are cast on a 'Dallas Strong' sign at a makeshift memorial at police headquarters in DallasCarlo Allegri/ReutersPolice officers attend a memorial service following the multiple police shootings in DallasCarlo Allegri/Reuters
Funerals for the other two slain officers, Michael Krol, 40, and Patrick Zamarripa, 32, are expected later in the week.
