11 July 2016, Parkland Memorial Hospital, Dallas, Texas, USA

Hello my name’s Brian Williams.

I want to state first and foremost I stand with the Dallas police department. I stand with law enforcement all over this country.

This experience has been very personal for me, and a turning point in my life.

There was the added dynamic of officers being shot. We routinely care for multiple gunshot victims. But the preceding days of more black men dying at the hands of police officers affected me. I think the reasons are obvious. I fit that demographic of individuals. But I abhor what has been done to these officers and I grieve with their families.

I understand the anger and the frustration and the distrust of law enforcement, but they are not the problem. The problem is the lack of open discussions about the impact of race relations in this country. 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. This killing, it has to stop.

Black men dying and being forgotten. People retaliating against the people who are sworn to defend us. We have to come together. And end all this.

…

When I see police officers eating at a restaurant I pick up their tab. I even one time a year ago bought one of the Dallas PD officers some ice cream, when I was out with my daughter to get ice cream. I want my daughter seeing me interacting with police that way, so she doesn’t grow up with the same burden that I carry, when it comes to interaction with law enforcement.

I want those officers also to see me, a black man, and understand, I support you, I will defend me, and I will care for you. That doesn’t mean, that I do not fear you.

That does not mean, that if you approach me, I will not immediately have a visceral reaction to start worrying for my personal safety.

But I’ll control that the best I can, and not let that impact how I deal with law enforcement.