Dallas

Parkland Trauma Center Director: Dallas Must Unite

A trauma surgeon at Parkland Memorial Hospital who treated some of the officers who were shot Thursday night in downtown Dallas says he understands the "anger and frustration and distrust of law enforcement." 

Dr. Brian H. Williams, who is black, went on to say that police are not the problem, but instead the lack of discussion about "the impact of race relations." He made the comments as he and other doctors at the hospital held a news conference on Monday afternoon.

Five officers died and nine officers and two civilians were injured when the shooting erupted at a protest over recent fatal shootings by police.

"I think about it everyday that I was unable to save those cops when they came here that night, it weighs on my mind, constantly," Williams said. "This killing, it has got to stop."

Doctors at Parkland Memorial Hospital outnumbered those that were injured.

On Thursday night, there were 300 people in the emergency room when the shooting started. During the following three to four hours, more than 130 patients would come through the ER doors, according to Parkland Trauma Chief Joesph Minei.

Parkland took care of 17 trauma patients between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. with three arriving by police cruisers and the rest by ambulance.

The medical director of a Dallas hospital's trauma center who is also a deputy medical director with the Dallas Police Department said no one on the department's SWAT unit has had a chance to decompress since Thursday's shootings.

Dr. Alex Eastman said the shootings "rocked some guys to their core that I thought were unshakable" and that it's a time for the city of Dallas to "come together."

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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