Downtown News
Police investigate suspicious big-rig truck parked in downtown Dallas
Police in Dallas were called on June 24 regarding a suspicious 18-wheel truck parked near the Earle Cabell Federal Building. But the truck has been cleared, and the police department is considering whether to file charges.
At 6:23 am, a call came in to 911 regarding an abandoned semi truck parked in front of the courthouse — an area clearly marked as a no-parking zone.
Officers called the bomb squad because they spotted what looked like suspicious wiring inside. By 9 am, after investigating the contents, the vehicle was cleared.
The incident comes exactly one week after 22-year-old Brian Isaack Clyde, a military veteran, attacked the same building with an assault rifle on June 17 and was killed.
"We're living in different times, you can never be too careful, and with what happened last week, officers felt it best to call the bomb squad for safety reasons," said Sgt. Warren Mitchell, spokesman for the Dallas Police Department.
The police department was able to identify the owner of the truck, who said the driver was on "an extended break" but has yet to be located.
The truck was parked in the 1100 block of Commerce Street. Several streets around the building — including Commerce Street down to Akard Street, and on the other side of the building, Jackson Street between Austin to Akard — were closed.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) sent an ATF Explosive Detection Canine to the location to check for suspicious devices.
The incident spurred an evacuation of a three-block area around the unattended vehicle, with the public and employees of the building asked to avoid the area.
The truck was towed to the pound. It is unknown if any charges will be filed at this time.
"With a police response of this magnitude, we'll have to wait and see what the charges would be," Mitchell said.
