DART Officer Sues Social Media Giants Over 2016 Downtown Police Ambush
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - A DART police officer shot in the July 7, 2016 ambush in downtown Dallas is now suing Twitter, Facebook and Google, alleging the social media companies aided in radicalizing the gunman.
Five officers died in the shooting.
Officer Jesus Retana was one of nine other people injured.
"Mentally, he's just not the same person. He has nightmares, sweats. It has a tremendous impact on his life and his husband's. They suffer every single day from what happened," said attorney Keith Altman.
Altman filed the lawsuit on behalf of Retana and his husband Andrew Moss.
It claims the companies allowed Hamas to use social media networks "as a tool for spreading extremist propaganda" that reached Micah Johnson, the shooter ultimately killed by Dallas police.
"Hamas' ability to reach into the United States has been greatly enhanced, it's been greatly enhanced by using social media," said Altman.
A judge dismissed a similar lawsuit filed by Altman on behalf on another officer claiming it failed to show Hamas' connection to the ambush in Dallas.
Facebook and Google have not responded to requests for comment. Twitter told CBS11 it is not commenting.