A suspect is dead after investigators said he killed a man and then fired at officers during a SWAT standoff in Stafford.
The incident started around 10 p.m. Wednesday when the suspect’s father went to the Stafford Police Department to report that his son had killed someone.
Officers arrived at a home on the 13000 block of Lawrence Lane and discovered the body of 32-year-old Thomas Goodson in the backyard, wrapped in a blanket and partially covered by plywood.
The relationship between the suspect and the victim remains unclear.
The suspect, identified as 35-year-old Adrian Mercado, then allegedly opened fire at officers when they tried to make contact at the front door. A bullet struck one officer, but the round hit his radio on the front of his vest, and he was unharmed.
Officers maintained a perimeter while the suspect continued firing for roughly an hour and a half.
A Stafford Police Officer fired one round at Mercado, but it’s not clear if he was hit. Mercado was later found dead inside the home with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
SWAT teams from Stafford, Missouri City, and Sugar Land were called in, using K9 units, drones, and flashbangs to contain the scene. Police evacuated nearby streets but stated that there was no ongoing threat to the public.
Investigators say Mercado has an active warrant for aggravated robbery.