DALLAS — It is a day that is forever etched in the hearts and minds of those who lived it.
Sgt. Sheldon Smith was on duty July 7, 2016.
"I remember when the call came out, officer down, so we got one officer down, then it kept coming in, another officer and another officer,” said Smith.
Thirteen officers were shot that night. Five of those officers died: Dallas Sgt. Mike Smith, Sr. Cpl. Lorne Ahrens, Officer Michael Krol, Officer Patrick Zamarripa and Dart Officer Brent Thompson.
The officers came under heavy gunfire during a protest. Body camera and squad car cameras captured most of it.
"It was unfathomable what occurred,” said Smith.
Seven years later, the officers were remembered at a ceremony at El Centro College.
Several of the officers died in front of the school. It’s also where Dallas police eventually took the gunman down.
Rick Zamarripa remembered his son Patrick at the ceremony.
"He done his duty to God and his country and the city of Dallas, protecting the lives of the people here,” said Zamarripa.
For Sgt. Rene Sanchez, it’s a day to say their names and to honor their memory.
"It means sacrifice. It brings sadness to us, grief, a lot of emotion right. But for us now, is the time to remember them individually, their names and who they were, and their families,” said Sanchez.
Sanchez leads the Blue Guardian Foundation that raises money for fallen officers. They host a free 5K run every year on the Saturday after July 7. It’s called Run for the Blue.
"We wanted to bring the community close to us and humanize the uniform,” said Sanchez.
He said many officers come in full uniform to run and to remember.
“When officers come, they carry something in their heart. So they come in uniform and run,” said Sanchez.
Years later, the officers say the pain doesn’t go away, but they have learned to turn this tragic day into a celebration of the lives lost.