Obama, Bush to address Dallas memorial service

 

Washington, July 11  President Barack Obama and former President George W. Bush are slated to address an interfaith memorial service in Dallas on Tuesday for the five police officers who were killed in a sniper attack last week.

According to CNN, the President will visit the Texas city at the request of Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said in a statement on Sunday afternoon. 

On Sunday evening, the White House announced that Bush would join his successor at the memorial service in Texas to mourn the victims who were killed on the night of July 7 when they came under attack during a protest staged against the recent killings of two African-Americans, Alton Sterling in Louisiana and Philando Castile in Minnesota.

The suspect that attacked the protest rally was identified as Micah Johnson, 25, who died after a long stand-off with police.

Vice President Joe Biden will also attend the service at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Centre, as will former first lady Laura Bush.

Obama will also meet with families of the fallen officers. The president cut short a European trip to travel to Dallas. 

While in Spain on Sunday, Obama condemned citizens who attack police officers, saying they are performing a "disservice to the cause" of criminal justice reform, CNN said.

Obama said that police and activists need to work together and "listen to each other" in order to mobilise real change in America.

Sterling, 37, was fatally shot on July 5 by two Baton Rouge police officers after being tackled to the ground. In a similar incident, Castile, 32, was also shot dead on July 6 by the police in Minnesota's Falcon Heights.