After 19 hours of negotiating, the police standoff which began with the shooting of 3 officers has ended with the suspect surrendering.
One officer was shot in the arm, the second was shot in the chest, though the bullet was stopped by his Kevlar vest, and the third had a bullet graze their head. The suspect was also injured in return fire from officers.
The officers were rushed to the hospital, and were believed to all be in stable condition when leaving the scene. Two officers were released from the hospital Monday morning while the third was in surgery, though there is no update on his condition.
The Central Texas Regional SWAT team, FBI, Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Rangers, Round Rock police, Leander police, and the Williamson County sheriff’s office were all on scene during the active-shooter situation.
Police and emergency vehicles lined the streets between Heritage Park Drive and Bagdad Road, while law enforcement helicopters circled overhead.
The Suspect
Although the suspect has not been named as of Monday afternoon, police have said that his mother had called 911 after he kicked in her front door and began acting aggressively. The suspect’s family stated that he has had ongoing mental health issues.
Police Updates
The Cedar Park Police posted an update on Twitter at 9 a.m., stating that the suspect and his final hostage, his mother, “peacefully” exited the home.
In a press conference, interim Cedar Park Police Chief Mike Harmon stated that it took 16 hours of negotiations to convince the suspect to release his other hostages: his brother, sister, and a family pet.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued a statement about the police standoff: “Our hearts are with the police officers who were injured while protecting the Cedar Park community this afternoon.
We must never take for granted the service and sacrifice of our law enforcement officers, and the State of Texas stands ready to provide the support and resources needed to bring justice to those involved.”