Dallas police shooting: Suspect shot dead by snipers after standoff in restaurant car park

The suspect was shot in the chest by a police sniper after authorities made 'the correct call to stop his violence'

Dallas Police officers gather at Dowdy Ferry Road and Interstate 45 in Hutchins during a standoff. A suspect in the attack of the Dallas Police Headquarters believed to be James Boulware was shot by a Dallas Police sniper in the car park of a restaurant i (Ralph Lauer/ EPA)

A gunman has been killed following a police standoff in Texas, which followed gunfire and a pipe bomb explosion outside Dallas' police headquarters.

Witnesses initially said that as many as four suspects were involved in the incident, but police are focussing on one man, James Boulware, who identified himself to police during negotiations. They do not believe that anybody else was involved.

A sniper and a tactical officer take up positions on the shoulder of Interstate 45 during the stand off with a gunman (credit: Brandon Wade/ AP).

Police said multiple shots were fired by an automatic weapon at the headquarters on Saturday morning from what appeared to be an "armoured van".

The van attempted to escape at 12.30am on Saturday morning, ramming one police car as it did so, the police gave chase which ended on Interstate 45. The road was shut down and Dallas Swat called to the scene.

Dallas Police said that a suspect, thought to be Boulware, was killed, although they did not confirm the identity of the deceased. The gunman died during an exchange of gunfire with the authorities at a fast food restaurant car park in Hutchins, 10 miles south of Dallas.

After the chase moved away from Dallas, several bags, one containing a pipe bomb, were found scattered outside the building in the aftermath. When approached by an explosives robot one of the objects detonated.

Armored van lured police, fired upon, and rammed police pic.twitter.com/luf2U1SMje

— Madhu (@madwho12) June 13, 2015

In total two devices have been detonated by police bomb disposal units. The first outside Dallas Police headquarters and a second found underneath a squad vehicle in the car park.

Dallas Police Chief, David Brown, said that the suspect had told police that they had taken his son and accused him of being a terrorist being threatening to "blow us up".

There have been no reports of injuries to officers or civilians which has been confirmed by police.

The incident, which was caught on camera by members of the public, was quickly uploaded to social media and one video shows a police officer attempting to approach the vehicle before quickly retreating.

Dallas police officer running for his life after realizing the threat was the armored van! pic.twitter.com/TRjePXFZJS

— German Chavez Majluf (@germanito006) June 13, 2015

While the police had surrounded the van, several shots were fired between police and the suspect. According to Police Chief Brown: "It was on again off again negotiations. When negotiations were on he began increasingly angry.

Commenting on the decision to shoot the suspect, Police Chief Brown said: "We were increasingly concerned for our officers trying to negotiate with him. Our Swat team made the call and I believe it was the correct call to stop his violence."

Ken Paxton, Texas' attorney general, said in a statement: "The attack on the Dallas police department and its officers is a dangerous reminder of the unpredictable threats our men and women in law enforcement face every day.

"We support and appreciate their selfless and effective efforts to keep our cities and states safe."