Dallas-area Officers Told to Patrol in Pairs After Police Shootings in San Antonio, Missouri

Dallas police officers are encouraged to patrol in pairs after ambush-style shootings of police officers over the weekend. A San Antonio police officer was fatally shot in the head and a St. Louis was shot in the face Sunday. "The uniform was the target," said San Antonio Police Chief William McManus on Monday. The shootings have prompted other police departments to patrol in pairs. Dallas and Fort Worth police have been encouraged to do so. "In the wake of the tragic ambush that occurred in San Antonio along with the other three police shootings that happened across the nation yesterday, I have reminded our officers to take extreme caution as they perform their duties," said Dallas' interim police chief, David Pughes. Dallas officers are not required to patrol in pairs but Pughes said they are "approved and encouraged" to do so. However, Fort Worth police are required to respond to calls in pairs though they've been allowed to respond solo to calls in the past, reported the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "Now, they're not allowed to advise. They actually have to go with a second officer," Fort Worth police Sgt. Marc Povero told the Star-Telegram. It's not the first time Dallas-area police officers have been required to respond to all calls in pairs. A lone gunman killed five Dallas officers who were working a July 7 protest about the fatal police shootings of black men in Louisiana and Minnesota. Nine other officers and two civilians were injured in the ambush.   Continue reading...