Harris County SWAT team uses โtricked-outโ armored vehicle to end standoffs
You could call it a military grade, super machine, that the Harris County Sheriffโs Department has deployed over 50 times over the past year to help the SWAT team take down armed gunman barricaded inside a house or a building.
Daring standoff: Rook lifts armed officers to 2nd story of home, forcing suspect wanted in deputyโs shooting to give up
It was a tension-filled night Thursday as armed officers mounted a mechanical crane-like device, were raised to the second level of a northeast Harris County home, and came face-to-face with a wanted suspect, leaving him with nowhere to run. This move brought an end to a nearly six-hour standoff for a man accused of trying to kill at least four law enforcement officers, according to authorities.
Search underway for man accused of barricading himself inside home during SWAT standoff in NE Harris County after firing shots at wife, HCSO says
Deputies with Harris County Sheriffโs Office are searching for a man accused of firing shots at his wife and then barricading himself inside a home in northeast Harris County Tuesday.
Man faces charges after hijacking crane in downtown Houston
HOUSTON โ A man faces charges after he jumped a fence, climbed a ladder a hijacked a crane in downtown Houston last week. Following the incident, Timothy Elijah Gonzales was charged with criminal mischief and possession of a controlled substanceTimothy Elijah Gonzales (KPRC 2)Houston police said they were called to a construction site around 3 a.m. due to โsuspicious activity.โ Gonzales was about 15 stories up. When he climbed up there, investigators said the man walked along the catwalk and got inside the cab of the crane. Police said he managed to move the crane at one point. SWAT got the man down from the crane around 6:13 a.m. and he was compliant.
UPDATE: Man accused of killing his mother-in-law in Cypress found with a self-inflicted gunshot, sheriff says
HOUSTON โ UPDATE:Deputies have located the man wanted in connection to Thursday nightโs killing of a woman on Loyola Drive in Cypress. Gregorio Gaytan was found Saturday afternoon behind a strip center located near Highway 6 and Settlers Way, according to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez. Gregorio Gaytan, wanted in Thursday nightโs slaying of a woman on Loyola Dr in Cypress, has been located in the Sugarland area. He was found behind a strip center located near Hwy 6 & Settlers Way. โ Ed Gonzalez (@SheriffEd_HCSO) March 13, 2021ORIGINAL STORY:Authorities are searching for a man after officials said he held his wife and kids hostage and fatally shot his mother-in-law.
HPD: Mom witnessed daughter being held at gunpoint on FaceTime
HOUSTON โ Houston SWAT and hostage negotiations teams responded to a domestic violence incident Saturday afternoon in north Houston, according to the Houston Police Department. Police said a concerned mother said her daughterโs boyfriend was holding her against her will and threatening to shoot her. According to HPD, the girlfriend was on FaceTime with her mother, and the mom saw the boyfriend hold a gun up to her daughter. During the standoff, the daughter texted her mother and said nothing was wrong, but her boyfriend has a history of taking her phone, police said. โWe were very concerned for her safety at the time,โ said HPD SWAT Lieutenant Richard Besselman.
2 dead in apparent hostage situation following standoff at Austin pediatric office
Austin police responding to an ongoing hostage situation on West 35th StreetTwo people were pronounced deceased following an hours-long SWAT situation at a pediatric doctorโs office in central Austin, KXAN reports. According to KPRC 2โฒs sister-station KSAT, Austin police were called to Childrenโs Medical Group before 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday for a possible hostage situation involving a gunman inside the building. Another neighbor said hostage negotiators also attempted to speak to the suspect over a loudspeaker. KXAN reports neighbors hearing multiple booms coming from inside the doctorโs office as the SWAT team breached the building around 10:50 p.m. The Austin Police Department reports two people being found dead inside the building.
SWAT officers called to eviction scene in Deer Park after person pulls gun, police say
DEER PARK, Texas โ A SWAT team was deployed to an eviction scene in Deer Park after a person pulled his gun on deputies, officials said. At approximately 5 a.m. Friday, deputies with the Precinct 8 Constables Office were in the area of E P and Parkglen Streets in Deer Park, Texas to serve a court-ordered eviction. The deputies backed away from the home to a safe distance and Deer Park Police Department S.W.A.T. Authorities are now โworking jointly to bring this to a safe conclusion for all involved,โ said Lt. Chris Brown with the Deer Park Police Department. Deer Park Elementary nearby underwent lockdown procedures as a precaution.
4 found dead at SWAT scene in east Harris County, sheriff says
HOUSTON โ Four people, including a shooting suspect, are dead at a SWAT scene in east Harris County, Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said Wednesday. When deputies arrived at the scene, they began to approach the residence and an unknown suspect fired at them, investigators said. Deputies at the scene were heard on a megaphone saying, โLouis, come out of the house. Gonzalez said when they gained entry into the home after hearing a gunshot, they found two women and two men dead. Deputies said the two other victims may be the adult children of the woman in a relationship with the suspect.
41-year veteran HPD Officer Sgt. Harold Preston dies in shooting near NRG, officials say
HOUSTON โ Houston authorities said veteran Houston Police Officer Sgt. Harold Preston has died after a shooting near NRG Tuesday morning. Harold Preston, who was shot and killed in the line of duty this morning. The responding officers -- a 3-year veteran officer, a 5-year veteran officer and Preston -- arrived at the scene and met the woman who had called police. The two officers who were shot -- Courtney Waller and Preston -- were transported to Memorial Hermann Hospital at 9:32.
Officials: Evidence supports SFA police incident wasnโt racially motivated
NACOGDOCHES, Texas โ Investigators at Stephen F. Austin State University said Wednesday they do not believe an incident involving police entering a studentโs room earlier this month was racially motivated. Evans, who is Black, said she believed the incident was orchestrated by her white roommates and that she believes the incident was motivated by her race. SFA police Chief John Fields said there are up to 11 females involved in the incident. The chief said officers responded to the incident as if a studentโs life was in danger. Gordon also said that he was concerned about the fact that he had to learn about the incident from Evans' family.
Baby found dead in Baytown motel room after SWAT scene, officials say
BAYTOWN, Texas โ A baby was found dead inside a Baytown motel room Tuesday evening after officers responded to a Crimestoppers tip and ended up in a SWAT situation with a suspect, officials said. Earlier Tuesday, Baytown police received an anonymous tip that there was possibly a dead baby in the Scottish Inn and Suites on Garth Road. When she refused to leave her room, it resulted in a SWAT standoff that lasted several hours. Eventually, the SWAT team stormed the room and took the woman into custody. Police found said they found a dead infant in the room as well but a cause of death has not yet been determined.
โHeโs just going through a crisis:โ SWAT scene ends peacefully with military vet in custody
HOUSTON โ A man is in custody Friday following a SWAT scene at an apartment complex in north Harris County. When officers arrived, they saw the man had a camera system, and he started banging on the door as officers approached the apartment, Baimbridge said. According to Baimbridge, authorities did not find a weapon, but they were not looking for one since they were focused on getting him out. There are no charges at this time as authorities are treating the incident like a mental health crisis, Baimbridge said. They know he is a good guy, heโs just going through a crisis.โWatch the full update below:
HPD: SWAT standoff involving 5 children over
HOUSTON โ 5 children barricaded inside a home in Houston are safe following a SWAT standoff Friday, according to the Houston Police Department. Around 4:20 p.m., the childrenโs mother barricaded herself and the children inside a residence at 8100 Milredge, near the Gulf Freeway, according to Houston Police. The situation stemmed from a child care dispute between the woman and her ex-boyfriend, who is the father to four of the five children, officials said. The standoff was over about an hour later when the woman came out of the residence peacefully, officials said. No one was injured in the incident and charges are pending.
Man in custody after officer-involved shootout, hours-long SWAT standoff
HOUSTON โ Police and SWAT negotiators were at a home in northeast Houston where a suspect was barricaded inside Wednesday night, according to the Houston Police Department. According to Houston police Chief Art Acevedo, a patrol unit searched the area and saw a black man who fired shots at them. The two officers returned fire and the man fled, Acevedo said. HPD SWAT negotiators were attempting to make contact with the suspect as of about 10:20 p.m.Just before 1 a.m., Acevedo said the SWAT team was able to make entry into the home and take the man into custody without incident. The man was shot in the hand and was transported to a hospital to be treated, police said.
SWAT standoff involving 1-year-old child over, police say
HOUSTON โ A SWAT scene at a home in east Houston where an armed man had barricaded himself inside has ended, police said. โShe was able to run out of the apartment, she was not able to bring the baby out," Besselman said. (The woman) reported that he did have a pistol inside the apartment, and he does have a criminal history. The hours-long standoff ended just before 7 a.m. and the man was taken into custody, police said. โAbout 6:45 this morning, the suspect voluntarily came out of his apartment and was taken into custody by SWAT officers,โ Besselman said.
Suspect arrested after officer-involved shooting, SWAT standoff in Conroe
CONROE, Texas โ A 24-year-old was arrested Monday after holding SWAT officers at bay at an apartment complex in Conroe. The incident started around 4 a.m. when officers responded to some sort of disturbance at Tall Timbers on S 7th St. and Silverdale. "Officers arrived, found the suspect outside, and the suspect immediately fled on foot," said Sgt. Conroe PD and swat team on scene after man holed up in apartment for hours in Tall Timbers Apt Complex. CPD say the suspect shot at Conroe Police Officer.