Michael J. Smith was a 55-year-old male, a veteran police sergeant with the Dallas Police Department, and of Taiwanese ethnicity. He had served for nearly three decades in law enforcement after also completing military service. On July 7, 2016, he was working security during a peaceful protest in downtown Dallas when a sniper opened fire on police officers. Sergeant Smith was fatally shot while standing outside a 7-Eleven store, one of several locations targeted during the ambush.
His death came as part of what became the deadliest single incident for U.S. law enforcement since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
The attack unfolded during a protest against police shootings in other parts of the country. The protest itself was largely peaceful until the gunfire erupted. A lone gunman, positioned strategically with an assault-style rifle, deliberately targeted police officers. Michael J. Smith, a 55-year-old male of Asian/Taiwanese ethnicity, was one of five officers killed in the attack. Alongside him, four other officers also lost their lives, while nine additional officers and two civilians sustained injuries.
Authorities quickly identified the suspect as Micah Xavier Johnson, a 25-year-old Army veteran. He acted alone and expressed to negotiators during the standoff that he specifically wanted to kill white police officers. Law enforcement attempted to corner him inside a nearby college building, where the suspect exchanged gunfire and refused to surrender. After lengthy negotiations failed, Dallas Police deployed a bomb disposal robot carrying explosives, which killed Johnson inside the building. This was reported as the first known use of such a tactic by U.S. law enforcement.
Following the attack, investigators determined that Johnson had no accomplices. While an individual who had been carrying a rifle at the protest was initially questioned after being misidentified as a suspect, he was released without charge once cleared. No other arrests were ever made in connection with the ambush. The investigation confirmed that Johnson was solely responsible for the deaths, including that of 55-year-old male Sergeant Michael J. Smith, of Taiwanese ethnicity, whose long career in service ended in the line of duty that evening.
