AUSTIN (Texas, US), Nov 12 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Three people are dead after a hostage situation unfolded in Austin, Texas, early Saturday, including a responding SWAT officer who was shot and killed in a shootout with the suspect, police said.
A second officer was also injured and the suspect was killed in the shooting, which occurred at a residence in southwest Austin, police said.
The incident unfolded shortly before 3 a.m. local time Saturday, when a 911 caller requested help at the residence, interim Austin Chief of Police Robin Henderson said, adding the caller was “screaming for help” and said somebody was stabbing her.
The first officers who arrived on scene located an injured victim who had managed to escape the residence, Henderson said, adding she was transported to a local hospital.
The officers were notified that two other injured victims were still inside the residence with the suspect, who the escaped victim said still had a knife, she said.
Officers attempted to make an emergency forced entry into the residence to “rescue the two victims,” Henderson said. After they announced themselves as police and entered the residence, they were “fired upon by the suspect”. The officers retreated and did not return fire, she said.
“Because the suspect was armed and barricaded inside a residence and had two hostages, SWAT was called out to the scene,” Henderson said.
SWAT officers arrived shortly after 4 a.m. and attempted a second forced entry to rescue the victims, Henderson said. Upon entry, the suspect “immediately fired,” she said.
Two officers were shot and transported to a local hospital. One — identified as Jorge Pastore, a three-year Austin police officer — succumbed to his injuries despite life-saving measures, while the second is in stable condition, Henderson said.
The two victims were located inside the residence with fatal injuries and pronounced dead at the scene, Henderson said. They have not been publicly identified.
The suspect was also pronounced dead at the scene, she said.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said in a statement that the “tragedy is a reminder of the great risks and selfless leadership our law enforcement officers exercise every day to serve and protect their communities.” — NNN-AGENCIES
