A hostage situation in Austin, Texas, concluded in a shootout early Saturday morning, resulting in the deaths of five individuals, including a police officer and the suspect, per CBS 6.
The incident began when a woman called 911 at 2:29 a.m. and claimed she was being stabbed, per the outlet. Austin police officers responded to the scene, arriving in less than 10 minutes, and discovered two people were inside the residence with the suspect, CBS 6 reported.
A third individual managed to escape, reportedly sustaining injuries in the process, and informed the police that the suspect was allegedly armed with a knife, per the outlet. The injured person was transported to the hospital by Austin-Travis County EMS medics, per the outlet. (RELATED: ‘A Heap Of Shards’: Armed Man Embroiled In Child Custody Dispute Reportedly Holds Child Hostage At Airport For 18 Hours)
The Austin Police Department is investigating a hostage situation that happened overnight, leaving one officer and two victims dead, with a second officer in stable condition at a local hospital. https://t.co/gslB8jl2tl
— CBS News (@CBSNews) November 11, 2023
When officers entered the house, they were reportedly met with gunfire from the suspect, prompting them to retreat, per the outlet. The SWAT team was then summoned to the scene at 3:06 a.m. and arrived an hour later before forcefully entering the house, per the outlet.
At 4:15 a.m., during an exchange of gunfire between law enforcement and the suspect, radio communication indicated that two officers had been shot, per the outlet. Both officers were fatally shot and succumbed to their injuries, per the outlet. The suspect was also found dead at the scene, the outlet added. Two additional victims inside the residence were discovered with fatal injuries, and was pronounced dead, per the outlet.
Multiple officers discharged their weapons during the confrontation, per the outlet. The Austin Police Department (APD) will conduct parallel investigations, including a criminal inquiry conducted by the APD special investigations unit in collaboration with the Travis County District Attorney’s Office, and an administrative investigation overseen by the APD internal affairs unit with input from the Office of Police Oversight, per CBS 6.