Suspect In Dallas Attack Killed By Police Sniper

A man planted pipe bombs outside Dallas police headquarters and sprayed the building with bullets during a wild street battle early on Saturday that authorities said miraculously left no one dead or injured except the suspect, who was later shot and killed in his van by a police sniper.

Dallas Police Chief David Brown said the suspect identified himself to authorities as James Boulware, and he blamed police for having lost custody of his son and for "accusing him of being a terrorist." But authorities declined to officially identify the suspect until a medical examiner verified it. Police arrived at the home of Boulware's father as an Associated Press reporter was there later on Saturday and began questioning the elder Boulware, also named James.

According to police, the suspect opened fire on the building from his parked van. Bullets pierced the glass at the entrance and caused damage inside, including at the front desk, where the worker on duty had just gone to get a soft drink.

He also fired on officers who drove up to confront him, riddling at least one squad car with bullets but not actually hitting anyone. Cellphone video shot from a nearby balcony or roof showed the suspect's dark-colored van ram a squad car as gunshots rang out. At one point the suspect got out of his van and walked toward the entrance to the building firing his gun but turned around, according to Dallas Police Maj. Jeff Cotner. Police are not sure why he retreated.

The van then fled, eventually stopping in a restaurant parking lot in the suburb of Hutchins, where the standoff ensued.

The suspect had told police negotiators that he had explosives in the van, and Brown said at a news conference that the department decided to shoot him because it felt he still posed enough of a threat.

"When the negotiation was on, he became increasingly angry and threatening, such that we were not only concerned with our officers there trying to contain the scene being shot by him at a moment's notice," but also people nearby, Brown said.

Investigators found a package of pipe bombs in the parking lot at police headquarters and at least two more pipe bombs in the van, police said.

Wary that the van may have been rigged with explosives, police used a camera-equipped robot to inspect it rather than have officers approach it immediately, which was why it took several hours to confirm he was dead.

After the suspect was confirmed dead, the van erupted in flames while the authorities were detonating the suspected ordnance inside.

Boulware's father said that his son had strong feelings against law enforcement after he lost custody of his son, now 12 or 13 years old. (Associated Press)