Police SWAT Team Descends On North Austin When Man Barricades Himself After Pistol-Whipping Woman

NORTH AUSTIN, TX — Police SWAT teams were called to a North Austin apartment complex early Thursday after a man pistol-whipped one of two fighting women before holing himself up indoors.

The incident occurred in the 2700 block of Twin Crest Dr. just after midnight, according to senior police officer William Costello. The call came in at about 12:30 a.m. when police received a call about two women fighting in the street.

During the fight between the two women, a man emerged from a nearby apartment and pistol-whipped one of the combatants. She was taken to St. David's Hospial where she remains on stable condition.

The male suspect eventually exited the apartment and is currently detained at the Travis County Jail, Costello said.

Residents in surrounding apartments were evacuated given that the man was armed during the standoff, Costello said. Buses were dispatched to house the evacuated residents to keep them warm. But it could be a while before residents are allowed to return home. Costello said residents wouldn't be able to return to their dwellings until the search warrant is secured, and police are expected to stay in the area to further investigate until 6 a.m. to 7 a.m.

Before exiting the apartment, the suspect locked the door behind him thus denying police an opportunity to make sure nobody else lurked inside. For that reason, too, residents' return to their homes was being delayed, Costello said.

No further details were available.

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