The actor admitted he shed a tear after learning that the officer was amongst those killed during a protest this week
Cuba Gooding Jr. has readily admitted he “cried” when he learned that Dallas police officer Patrick Zamarripa was amongst those viciously murdered in cold blood during a Black Lives Matter protest last week.
The actor had posed for a picture with the late cop just months before he and four others were killed during the tragic shooting in Texas during a peaceful Black Lives Matter demonstration .
Speaking to TMZ , a visibly emotional and shaken Cuba appeared distressed but did told the camera: “I cried today when I heard that.”
“I cried. That’s all I’ll say,” the Oscar-winning actor added.
In a picture tweeted by the slain officer in February, the actor can be seen posing with him while on patrol in Dallas.
The great @cubagoodingjr . Thanx for taking the pic with my partner and I. Hope your stay in #Dallas was great sir! pic.twitter.com/8q5toocBXD
— Patrick Zamarripa (@PatrickEZ01) February 25, 2016
Navy veteran Patrick Zamarripa, 32, who served three tours in Iraq, was one of the dead police officers, his family told Reuters. He served in the United States Naval reserves as well as serving as a Dallas policeman.
His uncle, Hector Zamarripa, said by telephone that Zamarripa was a proud Mexican-American who leaves behind a wife, their toddler-age daughter and a stepson. Although he did not speak a lick of Spanish, he went by the name Patricio among his Spanish-speaking friends and relatives.
