Hillary Clinton On Dallas Shooting: Cops Deserve More Respect, White People Need To Listen

Hillary Clinton sought to strike a delicate balance on Friday by calling the shooting in Dallas that left five law officers dead and seven wounded an "absolutely horrific event," while also offering support to African Americans protesting two recent high-profile deaths at the hands of police.

"Let's start understanding, putting ourselves in each other's shoes," Clinton said in an interview with CNN, as a way to "end this terrible violence."

"We've got to do a lot more to bring the police together with the communities they protect," said Clinton. "At the same time we need communities to feel they can trust the police."

She assigned responsibility to police as well as the public.

She called on communities across the country to show more "respect" to the police, as she paid tribute to the officers who risked and lost their lives in Dallas.

"Look at what happened in Dallas. Those police officers were protecting a peaceful protest ... that is a hallmark of America," she said. "And when the shooting started and everyone else was fleeing, the police were moving toward danger."

Clinton added, though, that much of the change has to come among white Americans.

"I will call for white people like myself to put ourselves in the shoes of those African-American families who fear every time their children go somewhere, who have to have the talk about how to really protect themselves when they're the ones who should be expecting protection from encounters with the police," said Clinton. "I'm going to be talking with white people ... We're the ones that have to start listening."

Clinton said, as president, she would implement a set of national guidelines on the deadly use of force.

"This is the kind of call to action, and as president, I would implement the very comprehensive set of proposals that I've been making for more than a year," she said, adding, "We must do more to have national guidelines about the use of force by police, especially deadly force."

Five police officers were killed and seven were wounded Thursday night in an "ambush-style" attack in Dallas, during a protest against the use of deadly force by police against African-Americans.

Clinton canceled a planned campaign appearance Friday with Vice President Joe Biden in Scranton, Pennsylvania. "Due to the tragic events in Dallas, the July 8 Hillary for America campaign event with Vice President Biden will be postponed," Clinton’s campaign said in a Friday morning statement.

Later, Clinton took to social media to offer support for the victims and their families.

"I mourn for the officers shot while doing their sacred duty to protect peaceful protesters, for their families, and all who serve with them," wrote Clinton.

Friday's cancellation is the second time Clinton has had a major event postponed after a deadly shooting. She had originally planned to campaign with President Obama in Wisconsin in June, but that was canceled following the mass shooting in Orlando, Florida.

[Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr Commons]