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“Dallas is a strong enough city” says man who was in Downtown Dallas

Posted at 8:33 PM, Jul 08, 2016
and last updated 2016-07-08 23:24:21-04

DALLAS, Tx. - Craig J. Lewis was working late at his office downtown Thursday night when the deadliest attack on law enforcement since 9-11 happened.

"It's shocking for it to be so close, literally streets and blocks away. You never really think something like this is going to happen off the TV screen," said Lewis.

The ambush began with gunshots that killed five officers and sent screaming crowds scrambling for cover. People were running for their lives.

"Downtown just got flooded with police officers and there were fire trucks and ambulances and they started blocking off the streets and people were hysterical," said Lewis.

The ambush ended when a Dallas police bomb squad robot killed a gunman after negotiations failed.  While police continue investigating what happened in Dallas, Lewis believes open, honest and hard conversations need to be had.

"It's not an easy topic to tackle by any means, but I think Dallas is a strong enough city and an evolved enough city we'll figure it out," said Lewis.

A strong enough city, trying to get back to normalcy. Lewis said parts of downtown Dallas remains a crime scene, some streets are not accessible, while many people are mourning the loss of five police officers.

"You can definitely tell this is not a normal Friday downtown. But I think people are trying, trying to keep moving forward."

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