First black Miss Alabama calls Dallas sniper a 'martyr'

"My heart and my mind were conflicted because these are difficult and very emotional times for so many people. I went to church to address my feelings and deal with them from a perspective of forgiveness and love. Especially forgiving myself for feeling that way. I regret that any people lost their lives this week and I am saddened by all of the shootings that occurred. But this is not about me. When reading about the killings of those black men, I was mortified by some of the comments about them. Many people were not conflicted at all about those deaths. Some were OK with this. These are raw wounds that are fresh and, while I apologize if I offended anyone, I cannot help the way I feel as I continue to process these events and deal with the flood of emotions that come from witnessing such atrocities – both against citizens and officers of the law. The fact that my opinion was considered newsworthy makes me feel like speaking up was exactly what I should do, because I can voice what so many people are feeling and dealing with and they should know they are not alone. I reiterate that I do not condone violence or killing at all.  I offer my deepest condolences to all the families who lost their loved ones this week, including the officers in Dallas."