The morning after the shooting in Dallas that took the lives of 5 brave police officers has been a somber one. While there has been much anger, and sadness, in these times there is also much heroism.

This heroism has come in many forms, and I’m more than certain that we’re going to see more and more stories of selflessness, and love come out of Dallas before the dust settles. One story in particular revolves around the Dallas Police Chief, David Brown.

During Friday morning’s press conference, alongside Dallas’s mayor, Chief Brown showed that he and the Dallas Police Department would not allow fear, anger, and the actions of cowards force them to militarize, or restrict the rights of others.

“Police officers are guardians of this great democracy. The freedom to protest, the freedom of speech, the freedom of expression. All freedoms we fight for with our lives is what makes us who we are as Americans.” said Brown to the media. “And so we risk our lives for those rights. And so we won’t militarize our policing standards.”

“We are not going to let a coward who would ambush police officers change our democracy. We’re not going to do it. Our city – our country – is better than that.” he said later.

Watch below.

At a time when every atrocity committed causes some to erupt into shouts for tighter restrictions, and loss of freedoms, the Dallas Police – through their Chief – have stated that they will not allow this to scare them into becoming anything other than a local police force that serves to protect the rights of its citizenry. The rights that he and his fellow officers put their lives on the line to protect.

Police Chief Brown, and the Dallas Police Department should be a shining beacon of what to do when cowards who wish to hurt the innocent rear their heads.