Dan Patrick fundraiser to help families of fallen Dallas officers

Texas leaders are trying to help the families of the Dallas police officers killed in the recent ambush.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick — who, initially after the attack, called the Black Lives Matter protesters “hypocrites” for running from gunfire but “expecting the men and women in blue to turn around and protect them” — has launched a CrowdRise fundraising effort.

Patrick noted that state assistance is available to the families, but those families now face a lifetime without a major provider.

“Our police are always there when we need them. I believe we must be there when they need us,” he said in a statement. “These men left families, wives and children. The day after the shooting, I visited the family of one of the fallen officers and the children were worried about what would happen to them now that there father is gone.

“They asked if they would lose their home. I told them that would not happen.”

Patrick and his wife began the fund with a $5,000 contribution. To contribute, go online to https://www.crowdrise.com/fundraise-for-families-of-fallen-dallas-law-enforcement-officers1.

By Friday morning, more than $29,000 was in the fund.

The attack

The ambush began late July 7, as a peaceful Black Lives Matter protest against police brutality began to wrap up.

Five officers were killed; nine other officers and two civilians were wounded.

Sniper Micah Johnson, 25, a troubled Army veteran and loner from Mesquite, began his attack while perched in the El Centro Community College building before moving down to the street, where he continued to fire.

He was eventually cornered in the college’s parking garage, where he continued to exchange gunfire with police.

After hours of intense negotiations — officials say Johnson sang and laughed as he spewed hatred about white people, “especially police officers” — authorities deployed a robot armed with C-4 explosive to take out Johnson.

Fallen officers

The dead officers include:

▪ Patrick Zamarripa, Dallas police, 32, a Fort Worth Paschal High School graduate and father who served three tours in Iraq;

▪ Senior Cpl. Lorne Ahrens, Dallas police, 48, of Burleson and father of two;

▪ Sgt. Michael Smith, Dallas police, 55, of Carrollton and father of two;

▪ Michael Krol, Dallas police, 40, a Michigan native who had lived in Burleson and Fort Worth;

▪ Brent Thompson, DART police, 40, of Corsicana, a father, grandfather and newlywed.

This article includes material from the Star-Telegram archives.

This story was originally published July 15, 2016 at 10:09 AM with the headline "Dan Patrick fundraiser to help families of fallen Dallas officers."