Earlier in the day, there was report of a gunman who had opened fire at the Dallas police headquarters before ramming his armored van into a police cruiser. According to the theGuardian‘s latest report, the suspect has now been shot dead by a Swat team sniper, after he led police on a chase into the suburb of Hutchins, Texas,.
Police and the suspect reportedly exchanged fire after officers cornered him in the suburb and snipers shot out his van’s engine. Police chief David Brown said the suspect eventually broke off intermittent negotiations after increasingly “agitated” and angry “rants” against police.
Bomb robots inspected the van and found two pipe bombs within. A package of pipe bombs and explosives blew up in police headquarters early Saturday morning when a bomb robot attempted to pick it up. Police also found a second explosive device, which they destroyed in a controlled detonation.
It was also reported that no civilians police were injured or killed during the early morning assault in Dallas or the ensuing gunfight in Hutchins, despite dozens of rounds fired. “It was very helter-skelter for a long while,” Brown said, expressing relief and amazement that none were scathed even as buildings and cruisers were peppered with bullet holes. “This has been a very chilling moment.”
The suspect is a white male, Brown said, but he would not confirm that the suspect’s name was James Boulware, as the suspect identified himself in a 911 call to police.
Brown said the suspect “rambled” about losing custody of his child and about being named a terrorist by police. But so far, there have been no links to terrorism found, and the motive is yet to be confirmed.
Police were investigating the last known residence of Boulware, and local media spoke to Boulware’s father, who said his son had been upset over a custody battle with family members and that he had recently purchased a van.
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Photo Credit: Rex Curry/Reuters
