Officer shot in July 2016 Dallas police ambush sues social media giants
A transit 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, CBS Dallas reports. Five officers died in the shooting.
Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) officer Jesus Retana was one of nine other people who were wounded.
"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, saying it failed to show Hamas' connection to the ambush in Dallas.
Facebook and Google haven't responded to requests for comment. Twitter told CBS Dallas it isn't commenting.
At the time of the ambush, police said a lone gunman -- angry about the recent fatal police shootings of black men -- opened fire on officers as they guarded a peaceful demonstration against killings that week in Louisiana and Minnesota. During an hours-long standoff, the shooter told them he was targeting white officers.
