James Boulware: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

James Boulware.

James Boulware. (Paris, Texas Police)

A man with a history of delusional thoughts and angry about losing custody of his son is believed to have attacked the Dallas Police headquarters in an armored van Saturday morning, opening fire on the building and responding officers after leaving pipe bombs in the parking lot.

The man identified himself to police as James Boulware. Police said they haven’t confirmed if Boulware is the person who was involved in the shooting, but it was the name the suspect gave to them.

According to police, an armored vehicle opened fire on police officers outside the police headquarters and then fled. After a chase, it was stopped at a restaurant in Hutchins, Texas. Police surrounded the vehicle and the suspect identified himself to a negotiator as James Boulware.

Police said Boulware was shot and killed by a police sniper during the standoff. The van later caught fire when police detonated explosives inside.

Boulware is the only suspect, despite witnesses reported seeing up to four people firing at officers outside the police headquarters.

For updates and details about the shooting investigation, click here.

Here’s what you need to know about Boulware:


1. He Told Police They ‘Took His Child & Accused Him of Being a Terrorist’

Police said the suspect told negotiators that police “took his child and accused him of being a terrorist,” and he is now going to blow them up. Boulware has had previous interactions with police, including three family violence incidents.

Police said Boulware called 911 and made a long rant about losing custody of his son.

“He blames the police for taking his son away from him,” his father, Jim Boulware, told the Dallas Morning News. “I tried to tell him that the police are just doing their job.”

According to police, four duffel bags were found around the police headquarters after the shooting. One of the bags contained pipe bombs.

Police said the man who identified himself as Boulware drove the armored vehicle to a parking lot in Hutchins, Texas, where he was surrounded by SWAT officers and other police personnel. He was talking to a negotiator on the phone, but police said he broke off those negotiations.

The armored van was possibly purchased from Georgia on June 1 via Ebay.

Boulware’s father told the Dallas Morning News he saw his son Friday night and didn’t notice anything wrong. He said he did see a strange van, but that Boulware had planned to buy a van to live in if necessary.


2. Boulware Caused Lockdowns After Threatening Shootings at Schools & Churches

james boulware

James Boulware. (Police photo)

According to a 2013 story from KXII, a James Lance Boulware, then 33, was arrested after threatening violence against his family, churches and schools.

The police report shows that the incident began at Boulware’s mother’s house in Dallas in May 2013. Police said Boulware grabbed his mother around the neck with both of his hands and began choking her. Boulware’s uncle then removed his hands from his mother’s throat and pushed him away. Boulware then punched his uncle several times, police said in the report. His mother call 911 and then struck Boulware in the back of the head several times with a laptop computer while he was fighting on the ground with his uncle.

Read the full report below:

Boulware left his mother’s house and went to his brother’s home in Paris, Texas, where he removed several guns, rifles, body armor and several boxes of ammunition and left. His family told police Boulware had recently made comments about “shooting up schools and churches.”

Boulware was later caught in Paris and arrested.

The case was dismissed in April 2014 after Boulware met court-ordered conditions, according to Dallas County court records.


3. Court Records Show a History of Mental Illness

The police report in the 2013 case shows that Boulware “talks to himself quite frequently and appears to be delusional,” but was not taking any medications. He did not have any prior criminal history.

During the 2013 incident, police said Boulware “began making comments about North and South Korea, and began rudely talking about religion, Jews and Christians.”


4. James Boulware Made Threats & Angry Facebook Posts on a Judge’s Page

(Facebook)

(Facebook)

A James Boulware has also made angry Facebook posts on a judge’s page about a case related to child custody:

Boulware also made several rants and angry posts on news article using an account on Disqus.

He posted last month on an article called “25 Reasons To Never Go to Texas” on the website AroundMe.com:

Texas is a horrible place to live!!! Too much government control!!! The C.P.S.S. (Also known as the Hitler youth Program) steals peoples kids with impunity. Jobs are scarce!!! The police and the F.B.I. are all part of the mafia!!! So if you want my advise, STAY AWAY!!!

He makes several rants about foreign policy, especially involving Russia and Communism, including on one article about a joint US-Ukraine exercise, “I’m in the U.S.A. and I personally believe we started this by, ONCE AGAIN, butting into other nations affairs. Putin didn’t like f***ots so America, ONCE AGAIN, forced its queers off on them. Bill Clinton also promised that the U.S.A. would never position N.A.T.O. troops near Russia EVER!!! Look how many times the U.S.A. has violated this agreement!!!


5. Custody of His Son Was Recently Given to Boulware’s Mother

dallas police shooting, dallas police shootout

A screenshot from a video taken outside Dallas Police headquarters shows an armored vehicle ramming a police car. (Twitter)

According to court records, a judge recently granted custody of Boulware’s 11-year-old son to Boulware’s mother after both he and the child’s mother were determined to not be fit to be in sole possession of the son. Boulware and the boy’s mother retained some parental rights, according to the judge’s order, and must each pay child support.

The boy’s mother has a history of drug problems, according to the court filings.