The incident began on Monday when the man, identified as Lee Dell Thomas Jr., climbed the 150-foot crane on the campus of Southern Methodist University. Police say the 44-year-old told officers he was armed, and threatened to shoot anyone who approached him.
Tactical officers were sent up to the top of the crane. The man then climbed out of the cab and dangled from it before he fell at 1:47 a.m. Tuesday.
Assistant Chief Thomas Lawrence said no weapon was found either on Thomas or in the crane cab.
Lawrence also said Thomas was "a person of interest" in the hijacking early Monday of a box truck containing band equipment, but hadn't been conclusively linked to the heist.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
