Southern Methodist University was the center of a bizarre stand off between what was possibly an armed suspect and Dallas police. The man, Lee Dell Thomas Jr., who was believed to be involved in a car jacking earlier that day scaled a 150 foot construction crane and either refused or couldn’t communicate with negotiators. After a 14 hour standoff, SWAT officers climbed the crane under the cover of spotlights, sirens and a police helicopter. When officers approached, the man climbed out the cab window, hung by his hands for a few moments, then tragically fell to his death.
Ollie Mae Thomas, the suspects mother, told reporters that her son had suffered from paranoid schizophrenia, an illness that was common in his family. He also had a history of violence that included assault with a deadly weapon, shooting the mother of his girlfriend, and attacking an inmate during his sentence.
The crane was being used to construct a new student housing area and a dining hall. Thankfully, there were very few people on campus as students had already started summer break. Buildings close to the construction site were evacuated and a large section of the campus and near by streets were closed. Air traffic was also diverted and air space closed by police request.
Brad Cheves, a spokesman for SMU stated that he is relieved the that the situation is now resolved but very regretful at the loss of life. SMU normally has more than 12,000 students on campus during it’s regular operating schedule.