Dallas Police Ambush: Friday marks 7 years since Downtown Dallas attack
DALLAS - Several events are planned for Friday and Saturday to mark seven years since the ambush in Downtown Dallas that left five police officers dead.
The shooting happened during a peaceful Black Lives Matter protest in July 2016.
Dallas Police Department officers Lorne Ahrens, Michael Krol, Michael Smith, Patrick Zamarripa, and Dallas Area Rapid Transit Officer Brent Thompson were killed.
Dallas PD and DART police officers gathered inside El Centro College in Downtown Dallas Friday to remember the five officers who were killed.
"The five who perished here that night are all in heaven," a speaker said.
Family of some of the officers were there too.
"It's tough. I appreciate everybody being here, thank you," a family member of one of the fallen officers said.
MORE: July 7, 2016 Downtown Dallas Police Ambush Coverage
Police used a robot and explosives to kill the shooter, who was found hiding on Dallas College’s El Centro campus.
Back on that fateful night, there was a DART bus driver who rescued dozens of protesters trapped near the shoutout.
This was the first year Donald Washington could bring himself to attend the memorial.
In The Moment - 7 Hours
This FOX 4 documentary details our coverage of the ambush attack in 2016 that killed 5 officers and injured a dozen others in Downtown Dallas. Cpl. Lorne Ahrens, Officer Michael Krol, Sgt. Michael Smith, DART Officer Brent Thompson and Officer Patricio "Patrick" Zamarripa were killed in the attack.
Washington is now retired. He got emotional when officers applauded his heroic action at the ceremony.
He said he saw a man drive past him erratically minutes before the shooting, not knowing it was the gunman.
Washington saw the fear in the protesters’ eyes and knew he had to help.
"If you trust in God, if you trust and believe in me, you'll go," Washington said.
He was devastated to learn DART officer Thompson was among the five officers killed.
Thompson would routinely check on Washington to make sure unruly passengers riding his bus were behaving.
"He was guy who had my back," he recalled.
Chief Garcia on honoring victims of 7/7 police ambush
The ambush attack in 2016 killed 5 officers and injured a dozen others in Downtown Dallas. Cpl. Lorne Ahrens, Officer Michael Krol, Sgt. Michael Smith, DART Officer Brent Thompson and Officer Patricio "Patrick" Zamarripa were killed in the attack.
"The big message is we will never forget," said Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia on Friday morning. "This was the most horrific day in the history of the city of Dallas."
Garcia called the support from the public "amazing."
"I'll never forget where I was on 7-7-16, in my living room, watching this unfold," he recalled.
Garcia was working in California at the time, not knowing then that he would end up serving as Dallas' police chief just a few years later.
"It's something that is now engrained in me. I'm coming up on three years here," he said.
At the end of the ceremony, a wreath was laid outside where the ambush happened.
Officers took a knee in their memory, just like they did that horrible night.
The five officers’ names are forever etched into the side of this police memorial, honoring all of our fallen officers.
Chief Garcia said his officers will gather for a private get-together at the police department to celebrate their lives and sacrifice.
The Downtown Dallas skyline will also light up in blue Friday to pay tribute to the fall officers.
The annual Run for the Blue race is happening Saturday morning at Trinity Groves. The opening ceremony is at 7:30 a.m. and the runs start at 8 a.m.
Donations go to help officers dealing with financial hardships and severe medical conditions.