UPDATE – 9:00 p.m. CDT: Police identified the man involved in the domestic disturbance at Dallas Love Field Friday as Shawn Nicholas Diamond, 29. He was shot by a police officer on scene following the incident that occurred around 12 p.m. outside at the airport’s baggage claim area.
Diamond, who resides in Maryland, was taken to an area hospital. He was last reported being in stable condition.
KDFW 4 reported police in the Dallas suburb of Carrollton arrested Diamond earlier this week, charging him with criminal mischief for driving a car into a median.
The intended victim in Friday’s disturbance, a woman only identified as Diamond’s ex-girlfriend and the mother of his children, was dropping him off at the airport for his return flight to Maryland when he became violent.
Dallas police released airport surveillance video, which showed the incident began after the woman removed baggage from the vehicle. The video captured Diamond using a traffic cone to smash in the car’s rear window. He appeared to throw something from the front driver’s side of the car, which may have been her keys. The woman went to retrieve the item. Next, Diamond grabbed landscaping rocks and smashed more of the automobile’s windows.
Then, he charged at the officer on scene with a large rock, according to Dallas police. At a press conference Friday afternoon, Dallas Assistant Police Chief Randall Blankenbaker said the officer fired four times at Diamond and told the suspect to stay down.
Later, Dallas Chief of Police David Brown said Diamond got up still holding rocks in each hand and lunged at the officer again. The police officer fired additional shots. As many as nine gunshots were heard during the altercation.
A witness told WFAA 8 (ABC) she heard the suspect angrily challenge the police officer, saying, “Shoot me, I dare you.” Diamond then charged at the officer. The witness also said it appeared the officer gave Diamond every opportunity “to back down.”
An estimated 4,000 travelers inside of the airport were rescreened through security, including those who already boarded onto airplanes. The TSA made the decision to rescreen all passengers because frightened travelers jumped through security lines to take cover when they heard gunshots. Rescreening was done to account for all passengers.
KDFW 4 noted it took two to three hours for everyone go through security again. By around 4 p.m., the airport’s TSA check-in lines thinned out. About 30 flights were canceled because of the incident, while many others were delayed.
UPDATE – 2:09 p.m. CDT: Randall Blankenbaker, Assistant Chief of Police at the Dallas Police Department in charge of investigating all officer involved shootings. He spoke to reporters at the Love Field Airport and shared what he called details based on preliminary discussions.
He said that at about 12 p.m. (CDT) outside of the baggage claim area a disturbance occurred outside of the terminal at the baggage claim. “We believe it was a domestic disturbance between a lady and her children’s father.”
The suspect, identified only as an African-American male was believed to use rocks as his weapon. Blankenbaker referenced a car that had been damaged by those rocks.
“The black male suspect involved in this disturbance used rocks to attack the lady and during the disturbance, one of our officers assigned to the airport was alerted to the disturbance, came to the aid of the lady.”
Blankenbaker said that the officer was “rushed” by the gentleman with the rock but reportedly “separated” himself from the suspect to “gain some distance and some time.” However, Blankenbaker stated that the suspect came toward the officer again. The officer discharged his weapon a number of times. The suspect was shot and transported to a local hospital. The officer is believed to be fine.
“It’s too early at this time to tell you what his condition is,” although Blankenbaker said he believed the suspect was conscious. Dallas PD has not had an opportunity to identify the suspect other than what is already known that he is an “African-American male,” Blankenbaker stated.
Blankenbaker advised that Love Field is not on lockdown and has not been shut down but at the time of the disturbance, some people may have gotten startled while waiting to be screened for departing flights and went through TSA security checkpoints without being checked. The airport is doing its due diligence to ensure all departing passengers are properly screened prior to boarding flights.
“The airport has had to pull everybody back out of the secure area and recheck them for security purposes,” noted the Deputy Chief. He said this may be among the reasons people believed Love Field was shut down.
The unnamed “lady” is believed to be fine. Officers are also looking for witnesses who filmed and posted the disturbance on social media as that video may provide further details to investigating officers.
Blankenbaker reiterated to reporters that “it’s clearly too soon” to discuss further details and the department is conducting a complete and thorough investigation. As a matter of the investigation, the officer involved in the shooting will be placed on routine administrative leave.
Earlier, WFAA 8 reported that a black vehicle with smashed windows with a rock and clothes strewn about remained outside of Baggage Claim 3.
Original Story
Dallas news outlets are reporting that multiple gunshots were fired at Dallas Love Field Airport and that the facility is purportedly on lockdown.
Police are responding to the incident said to be near the baggage claim area. Although there is no official confirmation, witnesses reported to numerous local news outlets they heard gunshots. Numerous local news outlets are hearing reports that the baggage claim area was evacuated and all TSA security lines at the airport have stopped.
Additionally, a number of the local news outlets posted amateur footage from Bryan Armstrong @flashyfilms, who was allegedly outside the terminal when the gunshots were fired. He posted video online which shows officers on scene and drawing their guns. The sounds of repeated and multiple shots fired are clearly heard.
#FOX4News:Multiple shots fired outside #LOVEFIELD baggage claim. Witnesses say big rocks thrown like one on car hood pic.twitter.com/NaVw43spTk
— James Rose (@JamesRoseFox4) June 10, 2016
“All I know is that it was a police incident in the baggage claim area,” said City of Dallas spokesperson Joe Torres, who was on his way to the scene, Dallas ABC affiliate WFAA 8 reported.
Southwest Airlines issued the following statement at about 1:30 p.m. CDT:
As the investigation into today’s shooting outside Dallas Love Field continues, Southwest confirms all of our Employees and Customers are safe, and that we’re working with local and federal authorities to fully restore our operation at the airport. Vehicular traffic is being routed around the active investigation scene by local police. Customers traveling to and from Dallas Love Field today should consult Southwest.com for the latest information regarding specific flights, and flexibility to change travel plans that involve Dallas today. We’re working with air traffic controllers nationwide to manage inbound air traffic. The airfield remains open and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is working to secure all areas of the building and screen a backlog of people and baggage created by the incident. Flights already bound for Dallas will be able to land, taxi to a gate, and our Customers will be able to deplane into the terminal.
This story is developing. Breitbart Texas will continue to follow.
Editor’s Note: This article has been updated.
Follow Merrill Hope on Twitter @OutOfTheBoxMom.
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