Obama calls for unity after death of police officers in Louisiana
US President Barack Obama has called for unity among Americans in the wake of a shooting in Louisiana that left three police officers dead.
Days after the fatal shooting of a black man in Baton Rouge, three cops were killed by a gunman identified as Gavin Long, a 29-year-old man from Kansas City, Missouri.
The president took the stage on Sunday to condemn the move, portraying it as a divisive measure to boost enmity with the US police.
"We as a nation have to be loud and clear that nothing justifies attacks on law enforcement," Obama said in the White House briefing room, calling on Americans to "focus on words and actions that can unite this country rather than divide it further."
The remarks were made on the eve of the 2016 GOP Convention in Cleveland, Ohio, where real estate mogul Donald Trump is supposed to be nominated for the Republican Party. He has on various occasions used the shooting to promote hate speech and undermine the Obama administration.
Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards also condemned the attack, calling it an "unspeakable” and “heinous” move with no purpose.
"There simply is no place for more violence. That doesn't help anyone, it doesn't further the conversation, it doesn't address any injustice, perceived or real. It is just an injustice in and of itself," he told reporters in Baton Rouge.
Two Baton Rouge police officers and a sheriff's deputy were killed earlier in the day as officers in Baton Rouge were responding to an incident at around 9 am local time (1400 GMT).
It was not yet clear if the officers had been targeted or injured during a law enforcement action.
The attack occurred as the region was still on edge due to death of Alton Sterling in the hands of local police, whose video sparked nationwide protests.
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