Dallas Police Shoot Suspect After Attack on Headquarters

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."

___

7:10 a.m. (CDT)

Dallas officers shut down streets near police headquarters following gunfire targeting the multilevel building in a former warehouse district known for apartments, live music venues and restaurants.

No officers were hurt around 12:30 a.m. Saturday as one or possibly more people in an armored-style van began shooting at police headquarters, located in the southern part of Dallas. Some patrol cars had bullet holes in their windshields.

A standoff with the male suspect continued in the parking lot of a fast-food restaurant along Interstate 45 in Hutchins, just south of Dallas. Police negotiators were trying to get the man to surrender.

Dallas Area Rapid Transit suspended light rail service in the area at the request of police. Rail and also bus service was halted to the neighborhood including the Dallas Convention Center. Traffic was being diverted from a section of I-45 closed down amid the standoff.

Several tactical officers were seen walking outside police headquarters as dawn broke Saturday. Patrol cars with flashing lights remained on eerily empty streets that were closed amid the investigation.

___

6:50 a.m. (CDT)

Police say conflicting witness accounts make it difficult to immediately determine how many shooters were involved when gunshots were fired at officers outside Dallas Police headquarters.

Dallas Police Chief David Brown says one man fled the scene being and chased by police in what witnesses described as an armored van.

Police said conflicting witness accounts made it difficult to immediately determine a motive.

Brown said during a news conference that the shootout began about 12:30 a.m. Saturday, when the suspects parked in front of the building located south of downtown and began firing. He said at least one of the suspects fled the scene in a van that rammed a police cruiser before leading police on a chase that ended in an ongoing standoff at parking lot in the nearby suburb of Hutchins, where additional gunfire was exchanged.

Brown said the suspect driving the van has told officers that 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 negotiations with that suspect and the SWAT unit are ongoing. No injuries were reported.