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First black Miss Alabama says Dallas cop killer a ‘martyr’

  • David Solomon, 60, left, and Calvin Wilson, 56, right, say...

    Travis Spradling/AP

    David Solomon, 60, left, and Calvin Wilson, 56, right, say they lived with Alton Sterling at the Living Waters Outreach Ministry Drop-In Center, and don't believe he carried a gun, on Tuesday, July 5, 2016, in Baton Rouge.

  • Alton Sterling, 37, was shot as two police officers pinned...

    Hilary Scheinuk/AP

    Alton Sterling, 37, was shot as two police officers pinned him to the ground during a confrontation at a convenience store on July 5, 2016. The incident was captured on a witness's cellphone, before the graphic footage was circulated online.

  • A demonstrator is detained during protests in Baton Rouge, Louisiana,...

    Shannon Stapleton / Reuters

    A demonstrator is detained during protests in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S. on July 10, 2016.

  • A man was fatally shot during an altercation with Baton...

    Travis Spradling/AP

    A man was fatally shot during an altercation with Baton Rouge Police at the Triple S Food Store on North Foster Drive in the early morning hours of Tuesday, July 5, 2016, in Baton Rouge, La.

  • Arthur Baines signs "RIP Big Dogg" on a folding table...

    Michael Kunzelman/AP

    Arthur Baines signs "RIP Big Dogg" on a folding table that Alton Sterling used to sell homemade music CDs outside the convenience store, Wednesday, July 6, 2016, in Baton Rouge, La.

  • Camroe Re'Jean Marshall holds her son Jayden Christopher Marshall at...

    Megan Braden-Perry for New York Daily News

    Camroe Re'Jean Marshall holds her son Jayden Christopher Marshall at a protest rally in Baton Rouge, LA on July 6, 2016.

  • A person reads the personal messages written on the wall...

    Mark Wallheiser/Getty Images

    A person reads the personal messages written on the wall next to the convenience store where Alton Sterling was shot and killed, July 6, 2016 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

  • People gather to protest the shooting of Alton Sterling on...

    Mark Wallheiser/Getty Images

    People gather to protest the shooting of Alton Sterling on July 10, 2016 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

  • On July 5, 2016, Alton Sterling, a 37-year-old black man...

    Gerald Herbert/AP

    On July 5, 2016, Alton Sterling, a 37-year-old black man was fatally shot several times at close range while held to the ground by two Baton Rouge Police officers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The shooting was caught on camera by a witness, sparking protests and riots across the country, reigniting the contentious issues surrounding the police killings of African-Americans. Sterling was reportedly selling CDs outside of the Triple S Food Mart in Baton Rouge, Louisiana when a homeless person reported that he used a gun to threaten someone outside the convenience store. A civil rights investigation was immediately opened by the Department of Justice following the incident.

  • Mike McClanahan, of the local NAACP, called for the two...

    Hilary Scheinuk/AP

    Mike McClanahan, of the local NAACP, called for the two police officers involved in the shooting of Alton Sterling to be arrested. "I'm calling on anybody in this city with a backbone to go arrest those two officers," McClanahan said.

  • Attorneys Justin Bamberg, left, L. Chris Stewart, and Dale Glover,...

    Gerald Herbert/AP

    Attorneys Justin Bamberg, left, L. Chris Stewart, and Dale Glover, right, representing Quinyetta McMillon and her son Cameron Sterling, speak in front of the Triple S Food Mart in Baton Rouge, La., Thursday, July 7, 2016.

  • Balloons that were released by the crowd float in the...

    Gerald Herbert/AP

    Balloons that were released by the crowd float in the sky at a vigil outside the Triple S convenience store in Baton Rouge, La., Wednesday, July 6, 2016.

  • A bear, CD's and sign reading "RIP Big Alton" rest...

    Travis Spradling/AP

    A bear, CD's and sign reading "RIP Big Alton" rest outside the Triple S Food Store, as family and friends of Alton Sterling protest on the corner of Fairfields Ave. and North Foster Drive Tuesday afternoon, July 5, 2016, in Baton Rouge, La.

  • Several arrested protesters get processed on the scene after a...

    Mark Wallheiser/Getty Images

    Several arrested protesters get processed on the scene after a march on July 10, 2016 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

  • Sandra Sterling, an aunt who raised Alton Sterling after his...

    Travis Spradling/AP

    Sandra Sterling, an aunt who raised Alton Sterling after his mother died, speaks on the phone, while family and friends of his protest on the corner of Fairfields Ave. and North Foster Drive Tuesday afternoon, July 5, 2016, in Baton Rouge, La. Sterling, 37, was fatally shot in an altercation with Baton Rouge Police just after midnight on Tuesday, in the parking lot of the Triple S Food Store at that location.

  • The fatal police shooting of Alton Sterling sparked protests against...

    Hilary Scheinuk/AP

    The fatal police shooting of Alton Sterling sparked protests against police brutality in Baton Rouge in the early hours of Tuesday morning on July 5, 2016.

  • Police officers detain protesters as they try to clear streets...

    Scott Clause/AP

    Police officers detain protesters as they try to clear streets while protesters were gathering against another group of protesters in Baton Rouge, La. on July 10, 2016.

  • Demonstrators protest the shooting death of Alton Sterling in Baton...

    Jonathan Bachman/Reuters

    Demonstrators protest the shooting death of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S., July 10, 2016.

  • Protesters block traffic and dance on cars near the Triple...

    Mark Wallheiser/Getty Images

    Protesters block traffic and dance on cars near the Triple S Food Mart where Alton Sterling was shot and killed, July 6, 2016 in Baton Rouge.

  • The Baton Rouge Police Department said uninformed officers responded to...

    Hilary Scheinuk/AP

    The Baton Rouge Police Department said uninformed officers responded to a call at a convenience store early on Tuesday about a black man in a red shirt who was selling CDs and had reportedly threatened the caller with a gun. The officers reportedly made contact with Sterling in a parking lot and the altercation ensued.

  • Family of Alton Sterling, man who was fatally shot by...

    CNN

    Family of Alton Sterling, man who was fatally shot by a police officer, speak to the media about the incident in Baton Rouge, LA on July 6, 2016.

  • Family and friends of Alton Sterling protest on the corner...

    Travis Spradling/AP

    Family and friends of Alton Sterling protest on the corner of Fairfields Ave. and North Foster Drive Tuesday afternoon, July 5, 2016, after was fatally shot in an altercation with Baton Rouge Police just after midnight, in the parking lot of the Triple S Food Store, in Baton Rouge, La.

  • People gather in protest outside of the Triple S Food...

    Hilary Scheinuk/AP

    People gather in protest outside of the Triple S Food Mart on N. Foster at Fairfields Avenue, after the officer-involved fatal shooting of Alton Sterling on July 5, 2016, in Baton Rouge, La.

  • Protesters gather in front of a mural painted on the...

    Mark Wallheiser/Getty Images

    Protesters gather in front of a mural painted on the wall of the convenience store where Alton Sterling was shot and killed, July 6, 2016 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

  • Protesters march to the state Capitol in Baton Rouge, La....

    Scott Clause/AP

    Protesters march to the state Capitol in Baton Rouge, La. on July 10, 2016.

  • Police officers detain a protester as they try to clear...

    Scott Clause/AP

    Police officers detain a protester as they try to clear streets while protesters were gathering against another group of protesters in Baton Rouge, La. on July 10, 2016.

  • People gather in protest outside of the Triple S Food...

    Hilary Scheinuk/AP

    People gather in protest outside of the Triple S Food Mart on N. Foster at Fairfields Avenue, after the officer-involved fatal shooting of Alton Sterling on Tuesday, July 5, 2016, in Baton Rouge, La. An autopsy shows Sterling, 37, of Baton Rouge, died Tuesday of multiple gunshot wounds to the chest and back, said East Baton Rouge Parish Coroner Dr. William Clark.

  • Demonstrators scuffle with police during protests in Baton Rouge, Louisiana...

    Shannon Stapleton/Reuters

    Demonstrators scuffle with police during protests in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on July 10, 2016.

  • A demonstrator protesting the shooting death of Alton Sterling is...

    © Jonathan Bachman / Reuters

    A demonstrator protesting the shooting death of Alton Sterling is detained by law enforcement near the headquarters of the Baton Rouge Police Department in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

  • People follow a brass band through the street after a...

    Gerald Herbert/AP

    People follow a brass band through the street after a vigil for Alton Sterling, who was shot and killed during a scuffle with police officers, outside the Triple S convenience store in Baton Rouge, La., Wednesday, July 6, 2016

  • Law officers march down a street during protests in Baton...

    Shannon Stapleton / Reuters

    Law officers march down a street during protests in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on July 10, 2016.

  • Protesters stand on cars as they congregate at N. Foster...

    Gerald Herbert/AP

    Protesters stand on cars as they congregate at N. Foster Dr. and Fairfields Ave., the location of the Triple S convenience store in Baton Rouge, La. on July 6, 2016.

  • A demonstrator is detained by police during protests in Baton...

    Shannon Stapleton/Reuters

    A demonstrator is detained by police during protests in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on July 10, 2016.

  • Family and friends of Alton Sterling, including his cousin Jakayla...

    Travis Spradling/AP

    Family and friends of Alton Sterling, including his cousin Jakayla Sterling, foreground, protest on the corner of Fairfields Ave. and North Foster Drive, after was fatally shot in an altercation with Baton Rouge Police just after midnight, in the parking lot of the Triple S Food Store, Tuesday, July 5, 2016, in Baton Rouge, La. They chanted things including "Hands up, don't shoot!" Officers responded to the store about 12:35 a.m. Tuesday after an anonymous caller indicated a man selling music CDs and wearing a red shirt threatened him with a gun, said Cpl. L'Jean McKneely.

  • Protestors gather at the intersection of N. Foster and Fairfields,...

    Hilary Scheinuk/AP

    Protestors gather at the intersection of N. Foster and Fairfields, near the Triple S Food Mart after Alton Sterling was shot and killed by Baton Rouge Police in the early hours of Tuesday morning, July 5, 2016, in Baton Rouge, La.

  • Protesters block traffic and dance on the hood of a...

    Mark Wallheiser/Getty Images

    Protesters block traffic and dance on the hood of a car near theTriple S Food Mart where Alton Sterling was shot and killed, July 6, 2016 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

  • Protestors from the Triple S convenience store in Baton Rouge,...

    Gerald Herbert/AP

    Protestors from the Triple S convenience store in Baton Rouge, La., Wednesday, July 6, 2016. Alton Sterling, 37, was shot and killed outside the store by Baton Rouge police, where he was selling CDs.

  • A demonstrator is detained by police during protests in Baton...

    Shannon Stapleton/Reuters

    A demonstrator is detained by police during protests in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on July 10, 2016.

  • Demonstrators raise their hands in the air as law officials...

    Shannon Stapleton/Reuters

    Demonstrators raise their hands in the air as law officials march down a street during protests in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on July 10, 2016.

  • People bow their heads in prayer at a vigil outside...

    Gerald Herbert/AP

    People bow their heads in prayer at a vigil outside the Triple S convenience store in Baton Rouge, La., Wednesday, July 6, 2016

  • Demonstrators protest the shooting death of Alton Sterling near the...

    Jonathan Bachman/Reuters

    Demonstrators protest the shooting death of Alton Sterling near the headquarters of the Baton Rouge Police Department in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on July 9, 2016.

  • People hold up their fists at a vigil outside the...

    Gerald Herbert/AP

    People hold up their fists at a vigil outside the Triple S convenience store in Baton Rouge, La. on July 6, 2016.

  • The family of Alton Sterling, a black man who was...

    CNN

    The family of Alton Sterling, a black man who was fatally shot by Baton Rouge police, appeared at a press conference this morning, along with NAACP leaders, to call for the police chief to step down and have the police officers involved in the incident to be charged.

  • A woman cries as police march down a street during...

    Shannon Stapleton/Reuters

    A woman cries as police march down a street during protests in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on July 10, 2016.

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AuthorNew York Daily News
PUBLISHED: | UPDATED:

The first black Miss Alabama stoked controversy online when she posted a video on social media calling the accused Dallas cop killer a “martyr.”

In the tearful two-minute clip, Kalyn Chapman James confesses that she’s prayed a lot but she doesn’t feel bad for the five police officers who died when sniper Micah Johnson opened fire at a Dallas rally Thursday.

“I don’t feel sad for the officers who lost their lives and I know that’s not really my heart,” the former beauty queen tells the camera.

“I value human life. And I want to feel sad for them but I can’t help but feeling like the shooter was a martyr.”

The 1993 Miss Alabama — now a Miami-area TV host — said she was just leaving church when she decided to shoot the video in her car.

Former Miss Alabama Kalyn Chapman James posted a Facebook Live video calling the Dallas shooter a “martyr.”

“I don’t want to feel this way,” the Mobile native said.

“And I know it’s not the right way to feel because nobody deserves to lose their lives and I know that those police officers had families and people who loved them and that they didn’t deserve to die but I’m so torn up in my heart about seeing these men — these black men — being gunned down in our community that I can’t help, I can’t help but feel like I wasn’t surprised by what the shooter did to those cops and I think a lot of us feel the same way.”

She went on to note that she doesn’t condone violence.

“But I’m sick of this,” she said.

“I can’t stop replaying the image of these men being killed in my mind and my heart weeps.”

Though James did not immediately respond to the Daily News’ request for comment, she issued a statement to AL.com, expressing her condolences but reaffirming her feelings in the video.

“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,” she wrote.

The University of Alabama grad told NBC affiliate WPMI that the wife of one of the slain officers reached out to her after her post went viral.

“She said that she watched my video and she wasn’t mad, she understood what I was saying and that she forgave me,” the pageant champ said.

Not all reactions have been so supportive, though.

“People telling me to watch my back, people telling me to be careful, people telling me the police should never protect me,” she said.

“I apologize to anyone who was offended by my comments — my heart was not filled with hate.”