3 Police Officers Shot While Trying To End Hostage Situation
A hostage situation finally ended Monday morning when a man and his mother exited a home near Austin, Texas, where a day earlier three police officers had been shot and wounded.
Cedar Park Police announced on Twitter that the man and his mother “had come out of the house peacefully” around 9 a.m.
9:00am UPDATE: The suspect and last hostage have come out of the home peacefully. The scene will continue to be active for quite a while as we investigate. https://t.co/7Doy83CKjN
— Cedar Park Police (@CedarParkPD) August 17, 2020
An hour earlier, police held a news conference and announced that the man had released his brother, sister and a family pet.
Police had been in negotiations with the man for more than 16 hours since the officers were wounded Sunday afternoon at the home in Cedar Park, interim police chief Mike Harmon said.
The man’s mother had called the police after he kicked in the door of the home.
His name wasn’t immediately released by police.
Harmon said earlier Monday that the negotiations were “delicate” but that they were hopeful the man would surrender peacefully.
“Our negotiations team has been doing an outstanding job throughout the night.”
In a scene that underscored just how dangerous police work is in the contemporary United States, two of the wounded officers have been treated and released from a hospital, Harmon said Monday morning.
The third officer was undergoing surgery.
Harmon said Sunday that the police department had a history at the residence, but did not provide details, including when police last visited the home.
“Our hearts are with the police officers who were injured while protecting the Cedar Park community this afternoon,” Republican Gov. Greg Abbott said in a statement.
Our hearts are with the @CedarParkPD officers who were injured while protecting their community this afternoon. https://t.co/kvdSn1mJ5j
— Gov. Greg Abbott (@GovAbbott) August 16, 2020
And Abbott wasn’t alone.
Praying for our brothers and sisters at CPPD. https://t.co/eqy6rH97Cj
— Chief Brian Manley (@Chief_Manley) August 16, 2020
“We must never take for granted the service and sacrifice of our law enforcement officers,” Abbott said in his statement, “and the State of Texas stands ready to provide the support and resources needed to bring justice to those involved.”
The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.
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