Sheriff: Obama's 'war' on cops sparked Texas ambush

Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke

Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke says the Obama administration is leading a "war" on U.S. law-enforcement officers.

The sheriff made his comments in the wake of the ambush and shooting death of a Houston officer who died while filling up his vehicle at a gas station.

"I said last December that war had been declared on the American police officer, led by some high profile people — one of them coming out of the White House, one of them coming out of the Department of Justice," Sheriff Clarke told Fox News on Saturday.

"It's open season right now, no doubt about it. ... I'm tired of hearing people call [Black Lives Matter] black activists. They're black slime, and it needs to be eradicated from American society and American culture. I need every law-abiding person in the United States of America to stand up and start pushing back against this slime, this filth disparaging the American law enforcement officers within these communities."

Watch video of Clarke's statements:

Harris County Sheriff's Deputy Darren Goforth, 47, died Friday night in Cypress, Texas, after being shot 15 times. Houston resident Shannon J. Miles, 30, was arrested in connection with the attack after it was determined that .40-caliber shell casings from the crime scene matched a handgun in his home.

Miles appeared in state District Court on Monday and is being held without bond.

Miles intends to plead not guilty to capital murder.

"He had indicated to the investigating officers that he was not involved in the case," Miles' attorney, Anthony Osso, told AP on Monday.

"This rhetoric has gotten out of control. We've heard Black Lives Matter, All Lives Matter. Well, cops' lives matter, too. And take that to the bank," Harris Country Sheriff Ron Hickman said Saturday.

"We need to hear more of that from everybody," Sheriff Clarke told Fox News in response to Sheriff Hickman's statement. "This whole movement — 'Black Lies' I've renamed it — because it's based on a lie, the 'Hands up, don't shoot.' That's why I said this slime need to be eradicated from American society and American culture."

Osso said Monday that his client will soon undergo a psychological examination, CNN reported. The suspect has a criminal record that goes back to 2005 and a history of mental illness, AP reported. He was also arrested in 2012 and spent months inside a state mental hospital.

Last week's shooting in Houston pushed the number of officers killed by gunfire in 2015 to 23.

The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund reported in December that 15 officers were killed by shootings in 2014, CNN reported Monday. The organization said that number tripled the number of ambushes perpetrated on law enforcement personnel in 2013.