David Brown, chief of the Dallas Police Department on Sunday defended use of a bomb-carrying robot to kill a gunman who ambushed the police during a protest on Thursday night over police-shootings at black Americans.

A bomb disposal robot is seen as policemen and rescuers take part in a mock terrorist attack exercise as part of the security measures set for the Euro 2016 football championship, on April 21, 2016 at the Pierre Mauroy stadium in Lille, northern France. [Photo/Xinhua]

Chief David Brown told media that he took the responsibility for approving the plan, referring to the strategy of deploying a bomb-equipped robot into a room where the gunman was holed up.

That strategy triggered the debate over when it's appropriate to use a robot to kill dangerous suspects instead of continuing to negotiate their surrender.

The police chief defended his decision by saying that other options would have exposed police officers to great danger.

In a related development, the Dallas gunman was reportedly thought to have been plotting a major bomb attack, authorities said Sunday after a new night of protests over police violence against blacks.

U.S. President Barack Obama will travel to Dallas, Texas on Tuesday to deliver remarks at an interfaith memorial service at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center after the the sniper killed five police officers in the city, the White House said on Sunday.

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• 5 police officers killed by snipers at protest in Dallas

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