3 lifeless, together with SWAT officer, following hostage incident in Austin: Police

Three persons are lifeless after a hostage scenario unfolded in Austin, Texas, early Saturday, together with a responding SWAT officer who was shot and killed in a shootout with the suspect, police mentioned.

A second officer was additionally injured and the suspect was killed within the taking pictures, which occurred at a residence in southwest Austin, police mentioned.

“This has been a really tragic day, a really tragic incident for all concerned,” Austin Chief of Police Robin Henderson mentioned in emotional remarks throughout a press briefing on Saturday.

The incident unfolded shortly earlier than 3 a.m. native time Saturday, when a 911 caller requested assist on the residence, Henderson mentioned. The caller was “screaming for assist” and mentioned any person was stabbing her, Henderson mentioned.

The primary officers who arrived on scene positioned an injured sufferer who had managed to flee the residence, Henderson mentioned. She was transported to a neighborhood hospital, mentioned Henderson, who didn’t present any particulars on the extent of her accidents.

The officers have been notified that two different injured victims have been nonetheless contained in the residence with the suspect, who the escaped sufferer mentioned nonetheless had a knife, Henderson mentioned.

Officers tried to make an emergency compelled entry into the residence to “rescue the 2 victims,” Henderson mentioned. After they introduced themselves as police and entered the residence, they have been “fired upon by the suspect,” Henderson mentioned. The officers retreated and didn’t return hearth, she mentioned.

“As a result of the suspect was armed and barricaded inside a residence and had two hostages, SWAT was referred to as out to the scene,” Henderson mentioned.

SWAT officers arrived shortly after 4 a.m. and tried a second compelled entry to rescue the victims, Henderson mentioned. Upon entry, the suspect “instantly fired,” she mentioned.

Two officers have been shot and transported to a neighborhood hospital. One succumbed to his accidents regardless of life-saving measures, whereas the second is in secure situation, Henderson mentioned.

The 2 victims have been positioned contained in the residence with deadly accidents and pronounced lifeless on the scene, Henderson mentioned. They haven’t been publicly recognized.

The suspect was additionally pronounced lifeless on the scene, she mentioned. The suspect has not been publicly recognized.

“My coronary heart and the hearts of Austinites are damaged this morning. This can be a horrible second for our metropolis and people who defend us,” Mayor Kirk Watson mentioned in an announcement. “I am praying for the household of our fallen officer, for our officer who was shot and in surgical procedure and his household.”

That is the primary time in a decade that an officer from the Austin Police Division has been killed within the line of obligation, in accordance with ABC affiliate KVUE in Austin.

A number of officers discharged their firearms through the taking pictures, Henderson mentioned. They don’t seem to be being recognized presently.

The Austin Police Division will conduct a felony investigation into the officer-involved taking pictures at the side of the Travis County District Lawyer’s Workplace, in addition to an administrative investigation with oversight from the Workplace of Police Oversight, Henderson mentioned.