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Baton Rouge: Three US Police Officers Shot Dead



President Obama has called for restraint after three police officers were shot dead in the city of Baton Rouge in Louisiana.

Three police officers have been killed and three injured in a shooting in the southern US city of Baton Rouge.

A Missouri man ambushed and killed three law officers and wounded three others in Baton Rouge on Sunday during a time when police nationwide and in the Louisiana city in particular have been on high alert after five officers were killed in a Dallas ambush July 7.

The suspect gunman was identified as Gavin Long, of Kansas City, Missouri, was an African-American who had served for five years in the Marines. He had posted videos on the internet complaining about police treatment of African-Americans.

Police officers who responded to Sunday's shootings killed Long in a gun battle after the other officers were ambushed, police sources told CNN. The murder weapon was an AR-15 style semi-automatic rifle, law enforcement sources told CNN.

Tensions in Baton Rouge have been high since a black man Alton Sterling was shot dead by police two weeks ago.

The shooting of Alton Sterling and another killing of a black man in Minnesota, led to widespread protests across the US. It also triggered a revenge attack by a black army veteran who shot dead five officers in the city of Dallas.

In a live broadcast from the White House, President Obama called upon all Americans to unite and refrain from divisive language.

"Regardless of motive, the death of these three brave officers underscores the danger that police across the country confront every single day, and we as a nation have to be loud and clear that nothing justifies violence against law enforcement," he said.

"Everyone right now focus on words and actions that can unite this country rather than divide it further," he added, as the US begins two weeks of political conventions with Republicans meeting in Cleveland later on Monday.

"We need to temper our words and open our hearts... all of us," said the president.

Although no other suspects have been identified, police said they were investigating whether the gunman had help from unknown others.

 


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