At approximately 12:30 a.m. this morning, officers of the Dallas Police Department came under attack outside of police headquarters. No officers were injured.
Reports say the suspect opened fire on officers with “automatic” weapons. Officers returned fire, and the suspect or fled.
Police pursued the vehicle. The suspect or suspects used the van to ram a patrol car and opened fire on the pursuing vehicles. Dallas police say no officers were wounded.
The van was stopped with a spike strip and surrounded by police in a Jack in the Box parking lot in the Dallas suburb of Hutchins. The van has been disabled by police firing a .50 caliber rifle.
Police negotiators have been working to persuade the suspect or suspect to surrender since early this morning. The suspect has refused to do so, he has told police that he is wounded, and has threatened to “blow up“ police.
Four suspicious packages have been found by the Dallas PD bomb squad outside of the headquarters building. Chief David Brown said bomb techs have told him that at least one of the packages contained a pipe bomb and it exploded when moved by a robot. Another package was destroyed by bomb techs in a controlled detonation.
The suspect, speaking with SWAT negotiators from the surrounded van, has identified himself as James Boulware. He reportedly is angry at authorities because he lost custody of his son. He also says law enforcement has labeled him as a “terrorist. Police have not confirmed the identity of the suspect.
The gunman was killed by a SWAT sniper Saturday morning. Police then detonated the van.
Medical examiners have not made a final determination of the gunman's identity.
