“Only in the darkness can you see the stars,” said Martin Luther King Jr.

Last night, in Dallas, these words rang true again.

Dallas Police and Dallas Area Rapid Transit officers were providing an escort to a peaceful demonstration, when shots were fired, leaving five of their fellow officers dead.

In those moments, knowing they were under attack, officers rushed in to aid their colleagues and to protect everyone in harm’s way.

In the heroic efforts of those officers, we saw how police are many of those stars. Running toward gunfire and risking their lives to ensure the rights and safety of everyone in Dallas.

The Seattle Police Department will continue to work with all of our city’s communities to ensure that police officers do not use unnecessary force, that children are safe on their streets and in their schools, and the brave men and women of the SPD all go home to their loved ones at the end of the day.

I have ordered our officers to carry out their duties in pairs. This will not prevent us from responding to calls for service, nor will it prevent us from safeguarding the lawful expression of 1st Amendment rights. We will work tirelessly to ensure that the conversations that must happen in response to recent events, happen without violence and with a shared commitment to justice for all.

I thank all SPD personnel for their courage and continued commitment to a safe and just Seattle.