Wyoming Governor Matt Mead says Thursday night's shooting in Dallas was a "cold-blooded ambush" and is calling on Wyomingites to "support law enforcement more than ever."

The governor released the following statement Friday:

After the events in Dallas on Thursday night, I imagine many people did not sleep well. I know I didn’t. As I write this, a dozen officers are reported shot, five of them are dead, and some are fighting for life. It was the worst attack on law enforcement in this country since 9/11. It occurred near the end of a demonstration, and it was a cold-blooded ambush.

My family and so many families around Wyoming and around the country are thinking first and foremost about the fallen officers and their families. Spouses, children, and parents of the slain officers and those wounded expected their loved ones home after work on Thursday evening. Sadly, these families got something much different – tragic, life-changing news. The loss touches us all.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to these families and to the Dallas law enforcement community. And, our resolve to support law enforcement in Wyoming and around the country grows even stronger.

In 1987, I served as a county prosecutor in Campbell County. It was my first job out of law school. Local and county law enforcement taught me a great deal. They were committed to the Gillette area and the safety of the community. I had – and to this day continue to have - enormous respect for them.

In the early 1990s, I served as an Assistant U. S. Attorney at the U. S. Attorney’s Office in Cheyenne. In October 2001, I returned to that office as United States Attorney for Wyoming and served in that capacity until June 2007. During these years, I worked closely with local, state and federal officers, including sheriffs and chiefs, throughout the state. These were all dedicated, hardworking law enforcement professionals.

Since I became Governor in January 2011, I have been privileged again to work with local law enforcement and the Wyoming Highway Patrol. We are fortunate to have men and women like these willing to risk their lives to protect ours. They have tough jobs.

In Wyoming, we appreciate what police officers do to make our communities and roads safer. We know the difficult situations they handle, including emergencies and crimes where lives, including their own, are on the line. When the chips are down, they show up. Our society would be in a bad way without them. We need them, and we are glad they are on the job.

When the inexplicable – like the events in Dallas – happen, we know we must support law enforcement more than ever … and we will.

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