Barricaded Person Prompts Austin Police SWAT Response

AUSTIN, TX — A police SWAT team was dispatched amid reports of a barricaded person in a West Austin neighborhood on Thursday night.

The incident began just before 8:40 p.m. near White Elm Drive, according to an Austin Police Department tweet. It's unclear what sparked the standoff with police, as is the gender and age of the person police were trying to coax out.

It's also unknown if the person is armed, a scenario that often heightens the need for the military-style arsenal police invariably dispatch to such standoffs. Police also did not indicate in their tweeted missive if any nearby residents were barricaded as a safety precaution as they sometimes do in similar situations.

It's advisable that residents avoid the area until the threat ends. Police were expected to provide more details later Thursday evening, and Patch will update once more information is known.