Dallas PD is a national model of how to avoid lethal force

That could be why complaints from citizens against Dallas police for use of force have drastically dropped in the last few years, especially in 2015.

Dallas police have also worked to improve community relations, particularly with the city's black community.

"We won't militarize our policing standards," Dallas Police Chief David Brown said this week. "We were blocking traffic and doing all the things to protect people's right to protest."

Brown has even received praise from police watchdogs.

"The freedom to protest, the freedom of speech, the freedom of expression — all freedoms we fight for, with our lives," Brown said.