Hostage situation in Northeast Austin ends in suspect's death
AUSTIN, Texas - A SWAT situation in Northeast Austin has ended in an officer-involved shooting where a suspect was killed.
In a media briefing Wednesday night, Austin Police Chief Brian Manley said that Austin 911 received a call at 5:18 p.m. about a vehicle that crashed into a home in the 2900 block of Rogge Lane.
Manley says that as officers were responding to the crash, 911 received a call three minutes later at a nearby home where the caller said someone had broken into her home.
Officers reporting to the burglary call heard a disturbance and screaming inside the home and forced entry. At that point, Manley says the suspect fired at the officers, and one officer, an eight-year veteran of APD, returned fire.
The officer was not injured by the gunfire, says Manley, but he did sustain a minor injury from some type of glass or wood shrapnel. It is currently unknown if the suspect was struck in this initial exchange of gunfire. After this, the officers exited the home and called in for additional resources, including SWAT.
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Manley says that inside the home were the woman who had initially called the police about the break-in and a 10-year-old boy.
While SWAT prepared at the scene, Manley says that officers continued to try and make contact with the suspect multiple times and ask him to surrender. At one point a door was open and the officers could see the child inside the home trying to wave them inside, saying there was no one inside with them, before the suspect would close the door.
Manley says that the suspect would be seen outside of the home, then go back inside multiple times and then at 6:17 p.m., the suspect came and opened the door, holding the boy in front of him in a "hostage position".
At that point, one of the SWAT officers, a 13-year veteran of APD, fired on the suspect, fatally wounding him. The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene and both hostages were taken to receive medical attention, according to Manley.
The suspect, who has been identified as a 21-year-old man, is not known to APD at this time and Manley says that there is no connection between him and the woman and boy. The woman has told police that she had no idea and he just broke into her home and had a gun.
Manley says that both officers who fired at the suspect in this incident will be placed on administrative leave during the investigation by Internal Affairs and the Office of Police Oversight as per protocol.
The criminal investigation is ongoing.