Downtown Dallas Streets Deserted After Five Officers Murdered
Source Dallas Morning News
Several downtown Dallas streets, businesses and offices are not expected to reopen Friday in the wake of the deadliest day for law enforcement since 9/11.
Officials said early Friday morning that a roughly 25-block area bounded by Ross Avenue and Houston, Jackson and Griffin streets will be closed to everyone but law enforcement for the entire day. And Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins has urged anyone that doesn't "absolutely have to be in the western half of downtown" to assist officials by staying out of the area for the day.
Dallas officials said police officers would help redirect traffic around the closures, but also warned that people who need to get to places around the area would likely face traffic snarls and parking problems.
That closed area includes two major Dallas Area Rapid Transit transit centers: the West End Station that serves all four light-rail lines and the CBD West Transfer Center that serves scores of bus routes. DART announced shortly before 5 a.m. that trains will still run through downtown, but will simply skip West End Station. All CBD West bus routes will instead connect to the CBD East Transfer Center. One of the five slain officers worked for DART police and was the agency's first to be killed in the line of duty.
The USA fencing national championships that were to bring thousands to the downtown convention center today was cancelled this morning.
County officials also said the George L. Allen Sr. Civil Courts, Dallas County Administration and Dallas County Records buildings and the Old Red Museum will also be closed Friday. The city's municipal court will also be closed.
Neiman Marcus is closing its downtown store and its corporate offices Friday. The Dallas-based retailer has more than 3,000 employees in three buildings downtown: the store at Main and Akard, 1700 Pacific Ave. and Renaissance Tower.
Neiman Marcus has been an institution that's been devoted to downtown, and historically to Dallas when it hurts. The late Stanley Marcus played a role in healing the city after the JFK assassination.
"The tragic news the city of Dallas has woken up to has affected us deeply," CEO Karen Katz said early this morning in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the five officers killed in the line of duty and the many more injured."
