Thread: Gunman in armored car opens fire on Dallas police HQ, plants bombs

Gunman in armored car opens fire on Dallas police HQ, plants bombs


Gunman fires on Dallas police outside headquarters

Published June 13, 2015 FoxNews.com




DEVELOPING – A crazed gunman armed with an automatic weapon and a shotgun fired on officers outside Dallas Police Headquarters early Saturday morning before he was believed killed by a police sniper following an hours-long standoff.

Dallas Police Chief David Brown said at press conference hours later that the gunman ranted in a 911 call about killing cops and came within seconds of doing so in the case of two officers.

“We barely survived the intent of this suspect,” Brown said.

He said it was extremely fortunate no officers were hurt.

“Some officers say we were lucky, I say we were blessed,” the chief told reporters.

Investigators found a package containing pipe bombs near the headquarters building and the suspect told police he had C-4 explosives in his armored van, Brown said. The package exploded as an Explosive Ordinance Robot picked it up.

Brown described a harrowing scene at police headquarters when the gunman pulled up around 12:30 a.m. and began firing, first with an assault rifle and then with a shotgun.

Bullets struck police squad cars, the inside of the building’s lobby and a second floor office. Brown said one officer avoided getting shot because he left his desk to get a soda.

“This suspect meant to kill officers and took time to discharge that weapon multiple times,” Brown said.

Police initially reported multiple gunmen, perhaps as many as four. Brown said detectives now believe the suspect acted alone. He said there was confusion because the suspect shot at officers from different locations, giving the impressing that others were involved.

As officers returned fire the gunman fled in his vehicle, which appeared to have gun ports in the sides, ramming a police cruiser in the process.

Officers chased the suspect 11 miles to the parking lot of a Jack in the Box in Hutchins near I-45. There police exchanged gunfire with the assailant before a stand-off ensued.

Brown said the suspect called 911 and in a nearly five minute call ranted about the police.

“It was very high pitch anger towards our police department, police officers,” Brown said.

He said the rant was about how police had caused the suspect to lose custody of a child and that police had accused him of “being a terrorist.”

Brown said the man was not on any terrorism watch list and the shooting did not appear to be terrorism-related.

Brown said eventually a SWAT team was brought in to negotiate with the man. The gunman told police that he was injured, but authorities could not confirm any injuries, Fox4News.com reported.

#breaking As the Explosive Ordinance Robot attempted to move one of the bags@DallasPD HQ, the bag exploded on its own #DallasPDShooting
— Maj. Max Geron (@MaxDPD) June 13, 2015
Brown said that during the “on-and-off” negotiations a police sniper shot out the engine block with a .50 caliber bullet to disable the vehicle.

He said at 5:07 a.m., more than 4 hours into the stand-off, SWAT sniper shot at the suspect through the front windshield of the van apparently killing him.


“They made the call and I believe it was the right call to stop his violence,” Brown said.

The chief said the bomb robot was being used to confirm he was dead. He said the robot was deployed out of fear the van may be rigged with explosives.

The suspect gave a name to police, identifying himself as James Boulware. “This the name given, however it has not been confirmed that this is the person we are talking to,” Brown said.

He said the suspect hat three family violence cases against and “some kind of custody issue.” He said the man had threatened judges handling his cases, but had not acted on those threats.

“His social media footprint is awfully concerning, but there’s no indication that he was planning this type of assault on a police facility,” Brown said.

Police evacuated residents near police headquarters for several hourse.

#BREAKING We are also investigating a suspicious package in a dumpster at the Northeast Substation #DallasPDShooting
— Dallas Police Depart (@DallasPD) June 13, 2015

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.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/06/13...lice-shooting/