DALLAS (AP) - DALLAS (AP) - Dallas' police chief says a sniper has shot
the suspect in an overnight attack on police headquarters and that the
department is checking to see if he's still alive.
Police Chief David Brown says an officer shot the suspect Saturday
morning while the suspect was holed up in a van in a parking lot in the
Dallas suburb of Hutchins. He says the man told police he had explosives
in the van.
Brown says investigators believe the man acted alone in the
early-morning attack on Dallas police headquarters, despite early
witness reports that others may have taken part. Police recovered two
explosive devices near the building.
Brown says the man identified himself as James Boulware and said he
blamed police for losing custody of his son and "accusing him of being a
terrorist."
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
At least one gunman opened fire on officers outside of police
headquarters in Dallas early Saturday, spraying squad cars with bullets
before fleeing in a van, which officers followed to a suburban parking
lot and surrounded, beginning a standoff, the police chief said.
Witnesses described seeing as many as three other suspects taking part
in the attack, but police Chief David Brown said at a news conference
that conflicting accounts made it difficult to determine how many people
may have been involved. Despite a hail of gunshots, including some that
hit police vehicles, nobody was wounded, he said.
According to Brown, the shootout began at around 12:30 a.m., when the
suspect or suspects parked in front of the department's headquarters
south of downtown and began firing. At least one assailant later drove
off in a dark-colored van, which witnesses described as armored, but not
before ramming a police cruiser. The moment was caught on cellphone
video shot from a nearby balcony in which several shots can be heard.
Officers trailed the van to a Jack in the Box parking lot in Hutchins, a
Dallas suburb, where a SWAT team had it surrounded, Brown said. They
had been speaking to a man inside who identified himself as James
Boulware and who said he blames police for losing custody of his son and
"accusing him of being a terrorist."
The gunman also said he had explosives in the van, which appeared to be outfitted with gun ports in the sides.
Brown said police didn't know if there was anyone else in the van, but
that witnesses reported seeing as many as four people taking part in the
attack, including some who may have been strategically positioned in
elevated positions. He asked anyone who may have witnessed the attack or
shot cellphone footage of it to reach out to the authorities to help
with the investigation.
Police said they found two explosive devices near the headquarters
building and cleared them away. They also evacuated a nearby housing
complex as a precaution.
Ladarrick Alexander and his fiancée, Laquita Davis, were driving back
toward the police station to their nearby apartment when they heard 15
to 20 gunshots in quick succession.
Seconds later, police could be seen swarming an unmarked van that appeared to have crashed into a police car, they said.
They turned around and were parked outside the police perimeter about
two blocks away, where they heard the sound of one detonation at about
4:30 am and smoke coming up in the air.
Police headquarters is in a former warehouse district where a boutique
hotel and several new apartment buildings have been opened.
"We don't see too much going around here at all," Alexander said.
