Watch Obama's Statement on Baton Rouge Shooting That Left 3 Police Dead

Obama delivered a statement about the Baton Rouge shooting on Sunday that left three police officers dead.

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Complex Original

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President Barack Obama addressed the nation on Sunday in response to the shooting in Louisiana that left three police officers dead and at least three others wounded. The incident took place Sunday in Baton Rouge, La., a city that has experienced increased tension since police fatally shot Alton Sterling earlier this month.

Though the motives behind Sunday’s attack were unknown, Obama did release a previous statement in which he condemned the violence and referred to it as “a cowardly and reprehensible assault.”

“These are attacks on public servants, on the rule of law, and on civilized society, and they have to stop,” Obama said in a statement.

The tragic events in Baton Rouge came less than two weeks after five officers were fatally shot in Dallas during a Black Lives Matter-organized protest. Dallas Police Chief David Brown later revealed that the shooter was upset about the recent shootings of black citizens by police officers, and “the suspect said he wanted to kill white people, especially white officers.”

Obama added that there is “no justification for violence against law enforcement.”

"The death of these three brave officers underscores the danger that police across the country confront every single day. We as a nation have to be loud and clear that nothing justifies violence against law enforcement. Attacks on police are an attack on all of us, and the rule of law that makes society possible," Obama said during his speech. "[...] Most of all, our hearts go out to the families who are grieving. Our prayers go out to the officer who is still fighting for his life. This has happens far too often."

The founders of Black Lives Matter have also condemned any attack against cops, and insist the shooting in Dallas was not a reflection of their movement, as it aims to put an end to violence rather than incite it. 

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