Dallas police chief David Brown has described the final words of a man who gunned down five police officers early Friday morning.

“The suspect said he was upset about Black Lives Matter, he was upset at the recent police shootings.

"He was upset at white people and wanted to kill white people, especially white officers,” said Mr Brown.

Mr Brown added that reports that the suspect killed himself “was not accurate”.

“He was deceased from the detonation of the bomb,” he said. The bomb, launched on a robot, was triggered after a standoff between the suspect and police which lasted for hours.

"He was lucid. He expressed anger. He wanted to kill white police officers. He was angry for Black Lives Matter," said Mr Brown.

Mr Brown said the suspect said he was not identified with any group, but the police chief said this does not mean there were not others involved.

The mayor of Dallas has said the identity of the suspect will not be released whilst a criminal investigation is ongoing.

Mike Rawlings said the withholding of the suspect’s identity would not be welcomed as “good news” by reporters.

Six more people were wounded in the gunfire. One civilian who was injured was black.

Five officers killed in Dallas

The suspect gunned down the police officers during a Black Lives Matter protest. He hid between pillars of a building and fired a rifle at officers in what appeared to be a coordinated attack.

At midday Friday leaders of faith will hold a vigil in Dallas. The mayor asked everyone to join “in a spirit of prayer”.

The Black Lives Matter protest organizers have said they wished their protest to be “peaceful”.