Police Chief Fred Fletcher
Staff photo by Tim Barber City Councilman Yusuf Hakeem
Mayor Andy Berke applauds during the Chattanooga Police Department's annual awards ceremony held at Calvary Chapel on Thursday, May 26, 2016, in Chattanooga, Tenn. In addition to normal awards, officers were awarded for their response to last year's July 16 shootings at two military facilities in Chattanooga.Local Reaction
"What happened [Thursday] night in Dallas is a picture of pure evil, and it is ghastly to think that there are people in this world who would purely target our men and women of law enforcement for sport. In trying times like these, we must all remember what makes our country great: our love of compassion, our ability to come together and unite, and those who are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for the greater good." - Hamilton County Sheriff Jim Hammond "This week we lost far too many lives. Two more young black men - Alton Sterling in Louisiana and Philando Castile in Minnesota - were killed by police officers. Then at a non-violent demonstration in Texas protesting their deaths, snipers opened fire on police officers, killing five and wounding seven. Though the details surrounding the killings of civilians Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, and police officer Brent Thompson and four other officers are still unfolding, these deaths are nothing short of tragic. Heartbreaking." - American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee "Like most Americans, we were horrified by the tragic events during the week of July 4th. ... We extend our sincerest condolences to the victims and their families in Louisiana, Minnesota and Texas. We celebrate their memory and heroism, and hope that their sacrifices will unite Americans across different racial and ethnic groups and faith traditions." - Gloria Sweet-Love, Tennessee State Conference NAACP president "Let us resolve that the loss of these brave officers will not be in vain, but will inspire us all to come together to end the arms race that is turning peaceful marches, nightclubs, military bases, office buildings, movie theaters, churches and schools into killing fields." - Safe Tennessee Project
Sheriff Jim HammondAs details of a sniper's deadly assault on Dallas police officers came to light Friday, Chattanooga residents and officials spoke of vigilance, dialogue and cooperation - and about the same racial tensions that simmer here.
A black man killed five police officers, wounded seven officers and shot two civilians in the Dallas attack Thursday night. The shooter later told police he was angry about police-involved shootings of black people and he wanted to kill white people, especially officers.
On Friday, Chattanooga-area politicians, law enforcement officers and locals offered condolences to the Dallas community, even as the city's attention turned to the decades-old tension between black communities and police.
On social media, some lauded local law enforcement and thanked officers for their service, even dropping off donuts and cookie cake at the police station. Sticky Fingers Ribhouse offered free meals to police officers Friday.
Chattanooga Police Chief Fred Fletcher said in a statement Friday morning he was "saddened, frustrated and angered by the senseless targeted attack" on the Dallas officers. "This morning, our hearts break together at the tremendous and unwarranted sacrifice of our fellow officers in my former home state of Texas," Fletcher wrote.
Others, meanwhile, posted anti-police videos and photos. One man put up a photo of a white police officer approaching in a car's rearview mirror. "An African American's Horror Story," the photo read.
"The [racial] tensions are here," said Councilman Yusuf Hakeem. "It may not have gotten to the level of that in Dallas, but I think we need to start asking the question, 'Why?' We're not getting to the root causes of what the problems are: poverty, unemployment, things of that nature."
The city has seen its own racially charged incidents in recent years.
In October 2014, police used pepper spray to disperse a crowd of mostly black people who gathered outside Erlanger hospital after a man was killed. In December 2015, police shot and killed 24-year-old Javario Eagle, a black man who police say pointed a gun at officers.
And on Sunday, a white sheriff's deputy threw a handcuffed black man to the ground after the deputy said the man spat blood in his face.
Some citizens - mostly black - questioned officers' use of force in all three incidents. Police ruled officers acted appropriately in 2014 and 2015. The Sunday incident is still under investigation, although Hamilton County Sheriff Jim Hammond said Friday he believes the officer behaved as anyone would.
Alfred Johnson, pastor at Church of the First Born, said he thinks police-related racial injustices have reached a point where the issue cannot be ignored and the anger will continue until something changes.
"You're going to see, I believe, a growth of this anger and this hatred continue until the culture changes, until people recognize that the lives of black people matter just like the lives of those officers matter," he said. "It's a sad, sad thing that those officers lost their lives. But it's equally sad that these other individuals have lost their lives."
Other locals said Chattanooga police have done a good job of fostering dialogue and community relationships with traditionally marginalized communities. James Moreland, president of the Avondale Neighborhood Association, said he knows many officers who respect and care about the communities they police.
Mutual respect and communication are the best ways to bridge the gap, he said.
"Sometimes, I think, officers see us and them," he said. "That's something we really need to work on with our law enforcement officers and our community. To not be separate. We all want the same thing: a safe place to live."
On Friday, Chattanooga Police Chief of Staff David Roddy addressed a group of 29 new police cadets who had just arrived for their first day of training and said he gave them the same advice he gives veteran officers.
"Strengthen the relationships, have the conversations," he said. "You'll see hands extended with gratitude, you'll hear words of appreciation, sometimes co-mingled with words of critique. But none of them are meant to completely tear down. And the relationships generated by those conversations are what we need to be striving for in law enforcement."
He added that seeing and hearing protests about police actions "sparks a desire to do better" and encourages individuals with complaints about police to sit down with officers and talk about the problems.
Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke also emphasized dialogue and cooperation as a means to overcome racial tension.
"The more that happens, the stronger that we can build our community and overcome the tensions that have existed for many, many years," he said.
Hammond said Friday that no one from local protest groups have ever reached out to him for a conversation about their concerns, and citizens should trust the justice system to deal fairly with police-involved shootings.
"Like any other occupation, you have some bad apples," he said. "But I can tell you that the internal affairs division of any law enforcement agency is well-trained to look at any action when any citizen files a complaint and it is thoroughly, thoroughly examined. I feel like there's not much more we can do in checking on our own. What we really need is the encouragement of the media and the public to let those who would step outside the law understand that the public would not support it."
He gave his remarks in a morning news conference as officials, experts and politicians across the country rushed to weigh in on the Dallas attack, offering condolences and analyzing the gunman's motives.
Yet for some Chattanooga residents, the violence in Dallas pales when compared with the violence in their own neighborhoods.
"I had a best friend in the Westside who was murdered and the community is not making noise about that," said Latoya Holloman, an East Lake Courts resident who started an anti-violence organization. Her friend, Aisha Bearden, 23, was killed inside her home and found dead on July 4.
"Do black lives really matter?" Holloman asked. "Or do they just matter when the police are killing us? Because it don't seem to mean nothing when we're killing each other."
Staff writer Yolanda Putman contributed to this report.
Contact staff writer Shelly Bradbury at 423-757-6525 or sbradbury@timesfreepress.com with tips or story ideas. Follow @ShellyBradbury.