A 15 hours standoff between police and a man perched on top of a construction crane at SMU ended in tragedy when the man, who has been identified as Lee Dell Thomas Jr., fell 150 feet to his death while trying to evade the SWAT officers sent up to talk with him.
Thomas Jr. is believed to have stolen a truck in downtown Dallas around 2:30 a.m. on Monday. Police, using search dogs and witnesses, tracked the stolen truck to 6000 Ownby Drive in University Park. From there, the search dogs followed the scent to the crane, where Thomas Jr. had barricade himself in the crane's cab.
Police tried to talk Thomas Jr. down but believe there was difficulty communicating with the suspect using a speaker. Police set up spotlights and had a police helicopter on a standby. There was also a sniper stationed on top of a nearby middle school, as Thomas Jr. was threatening police that he had a weapon, although the police have not yet stated whether or not he actually had one.
When police sent up SWAT officers to try and coax Thomas Jr. down, he sprayed an unknown oily substance at them and all over the cab. He then climbed out of the window and held onto the side with just his hands. Moments later, according to the police, he either jumped or lost his grip and fell.
The SMU campus was largely empty, as students had already left for summer break and the summer classes don't start until later in the week. Police closed down several nearby streets as a precaution.
The SMU website has released this statement: "While SMU is relieved that the situation involving a man occupying a crane at the Residential Commons site is resolved and that the threat of danger has passed, we are saddened by the loss of life that occurred. We also express appreciation for the collaboration and expertise of the police forces of Dallas, Highland Park and University Park in worth with SMU Police. Information on the further investigation of this matter will come from Dallas Police. We also thank members of the University community for their cooperation in helping SMU and area police to restrict access to the affected area."
To learn more about this incident, visit The Dallas Morning News article.