Dallas Police arrest suspect for taking sledgehammer to a dozen squad cars

A man is in Dallas Police custody after they say he took a sledgehammer to a dozen DPD squad cars, Sunday morning.

Police say 51-year-old Gregory Simpson broke into the parking lot at the Dallas Marshals office off Chesnut Street just after 5 a.m.

It’s also the city’s detention center, holding people who are arrested for misdemeanors like public intoxication. Police were able to arrest Simpson and book him into jail.

Dallas Police have been asking for more enhanced security for years, like bulletproof glass and better fencing around parking lots at their facilities, especially after the Dallas Police Headquarters was shot at in June of 2015. Dallas Police Association president Mike Mata says this is just another example of the need for added security.

“We're seeing this time and time again. An individual, who either has the onset or the mindset to either injure officers or injure property shows up ... and we roll the dice. And we are lucky that he didn't try to kill an officer or an officer didn't have to kill him.”

The Fort Worth Police Officers Association posted about the incident on Facebook, asking the city of Fort Worth to take note, stating: “A secure parking lot can prevent the destruction of police vehicles and ensure the safety of officers and department employees.”