Earlier this week in Dallas, Texas, shots rang out during a protest held in response to the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile. Reports say five Dallas police officers were killed and several others were wounded.
Within hours, the Dallas Police Department posted a photo of a man on social media and asked the public to help identify him as a suspect. The man was Mark Hughes, who had attended the rally carrying an unloaded AR-15 that he was legally allowed to carry. According to reports, photos and video later showed that Mark was not involved in the shooting. Dallas PD removed the post about a day later. Mark has said he has received threats since his photo was shared.
Mark’s attorney, Lee Merritt, released a statement on his behalf. In it, Merritt said the department’s actions “recklessly triggered a nationwide manhunt” that put his client and his family in danger. He said Mark went to the nearest officer when the shooting started and turned over his firearm. According to the statement, Mark cooperated fully, was questioned by police, and was released, yet his photo stayed on the department’s Twitter account for more than 18 hours afterward. Merritt said Mark’s family has received death threats.
Baller Alert did not see a response from the Dallas Police Department to the statement at the time of publishing.
