Three Police Officers Killed And Others Wounded In Baton Rouge

NY Times: “Three Police Officers Killed and Several Wounded in Baton Rouge Shooting.” The New York Times reported on July 17 that “Three law enforcement officers were fatally shot and at least three others wounded on Sunday in Baton Rouge, La.,” noting that “Sunday’s shooting is the latest episode in a month of violence and extraordinary racial tension in the country”:

Three law enforcement officers were shot dead and at least three others wounded in Baton Rouge, La., on Sunday, the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.

[...]

Sunday’s shooting is the latest episode in a month of violence and extraordinary racial tension in the country, and took place less than two weeks after two police officers in Baton Rouge fatally shot Alton Sterling, a black man who was selling CDs outside a convenience store. The night after Mr. Sterling was killed, a black man was killed by the police during a traffic stop in a Minneapolis suburb, and then the next night, five police officers were killed by a gunman in Dallas who said he wanted to kill police officers, particularly white officers. [New York Times, 7/17/16]

Conservative Media Blame President Obama For Shooting, Saying He “Added Fuel To The Flame Of Racism”

On Fox News, Cleveland Police Union President Steve Loomis: The President “Has Blood On His Hands” For “Validat[ing]” The Black Lives Matter Movement. In response to the shooting of police officers in Baton Rouge, Fox hosted Cleveland Police Union President Steve Loomis who claimed that the President Obama “has blood on his hands,” alleging he made “divisive statements” and “validated” a “false narrative” about police brutality against minorities. From the July 17 edition of Fox News’ America’s Election HQ:

STEVE LOOMIS: The president of the United States validated the false narrative and the nonsense that Black Lives Matter and the media are pressing out there to the public. Validated it with his very divisive statements, and now we see an escalation. This has got to end. We need some leadership in this country to come forward and put an end to this. I don't care if it's clergy, I don’t care who it is, but somebody’s got to step up and put an end to this because it’s a false narrative, and very influential people that are politicizing the false narrative. Absolutely insane that we have a president of the United States and the governor of Minnesota making the statements that they made less than one day after those police-involved shootings. And those police-involved shootings, make no mistake, are what absolutely has triggered this rash of senseless murders of law enforcement officers across this country. It is reprehensible. And the president of the United States has blood on his hands, and it will not be able to come washed off. [Fox News, America's Election HQ, 7/17/16]

Fox Guest Steven Rogers: “A False Narrative From The White House” Added “Fuel To The Flame Of Racism.” Former FBI agent and frequent Fox guest Steven Rogers claimed the Baton Rouge shooting is the result of “a false narrative from the White House all the way down to local levels of government that have added flames or fuel to the flame of racism.” From the July 17 edition of Fox News’ America’s Election HQ:

STEVEN ROGERS: Well, first of all, the Cleveland police ought to thank God for a gentleman like this who represents them because he nailed it. What's different now, Harris, is there's a pattern of assault on our Democracy. Police officers are the first line of defense against anarchy, the first line of defense against crime, the first line of defense against people that want to tear this democracy down. And there’s a pattern. And this police officer who you just spoke to, he nailed it. It’s a false narrative from the White House all the way down to local levels of government that have added flames or fuel to the flame of racism. [Fox News, America’s Election HQ, 7/17/16]

Fox’s Jeanine Pirro: The President’s Remarks Show “An Attempt To Protect The Criminal And Not The Victims.” Fox News host Jeanine Pirro claimed that “the killing of cops is now becoming normalized” and “legitimized,” “and it starts at the top.” Pirro also lambasted President Obama’s remarks at the funeral for the 5 Dallas police officers who were killed at a protest against police brutality, suggesting that they were “an attempt to protect the criminal and not the victims.” From the July 17 edition of Fox News’ America’s Election HQ:

JEANINE PIRRO: I was at a Black Lives Matter protest yesterday afternoon. There were very few people there although I suspect, Harris, that a lot more are coming in. And with this happening in Baton Rouge, my fear is that the attempt to kill cops and the killing of cops is now becoming normalized. It’s now becoming legitimized. And I agree with your other guests to say that it starts at the top. You know, when we have a president at the funeral of 5 Dallas cops who were assassinated who starts talking about other people in that funeral service, we’ve got a real problem. We’ve got a president who’s more concerned about a conversation, then what we’ve got is an attempt to protect the criminal and not the victims. And the police officers, as everyone has said, are our one line of defense between a civilized society and anarchy. [Fox News, America’s Election HQ, 7/17/16]

Conservative Pundit John Nolte: “Racist Terrorists In [Black Lives Matter] Know Obama’s Winking At Them.”

Racist terrorists in #BLM know Obama's winking at them. https://t.co/eg7yDJGoto

— John Nolte (@NolteNC) July 17, 2016

[Twitter.com, 7/17/16]

Nolte: Obama Condemned Police Killings That “He Inspired And Stoked.”

Condemning what he inspired and stoked. https://t.co/eg7yDJGoto

— John Nolte (@NolteNC) July 17, 2016

[Twitter.com, 7/17/16]

Conservative Activist David Horowitz: “Time To Hold Obama Accountable. This Baton Rouge Blood Is On His Hands.”

Time to hold Obama accountable. This Baton Rouge blood is on his hands for inviting racist cop haters to the WH. https://t.co/Ts4vxVUQ7c

— David Horowitz (@horowitz39) July 17, 2016

[Twitter.com, 7/17/16]

Conservative Radio Host Joe Walsh: “Cops Are Being Killed In America [Because] Of The Ugly Lie Spread By Obama & [Black Lives Matter].”

Cops are being killed in America cuz of the ugly lie spread by Obama & BLM that Cops are racist & gunning down black men.



That's a lie.

— Joe Walsh (@WalshFreedom) July 17, 2016

[Twitter.com, 7/17/16]

CNN’s Ben Ferguson: “Remember [Obama] Said ‘None Of Us Are Entirely Innocent [And] That Includes The [Police]’” And You “Wonder Why This Keep[s] Happening.”

Remember #Obama said “none of us are entirely innocent that includes the #police" at the Dallas Memorial! & U wonder why this keep happening

— Ben Ferguson (@benfergusonshow) July 17, 2016

[Twitter.com, 7/17/16]