Barack Obama pays tribute to slain Dallas police officers

President Barack Obama has told a memorial service that the shootings of five Dallas police officers would appear to have exposed “the deepest fault line of our democracy” but that Americans must reject such despair.

He said the nation is not as divided as it seems and called on Americans to search for common ground in support of racial equity and justice.

Mr Obama acknowledged Americans are unsettled by another mass shooting on their streets and are seeking answers to the violence that has sparked protests in cities and highlighted the nation’s persistent racial divide.