Hours-Long Standoff Ends Peacefully In South Austin

SOUTH AUSTIN, TEXAS — An hours-long standoff with an intoxicated man who threatened to kill officers ended peacefully in South Austin early Sunday, police said.

The incident occurred in southwest Austin along the 8800 block of Kimono Ridge Drive, in a neighborhood near Manchaca Road and Slaughter Lane, at around 5:10 a.m. Neighbors called police after a 29-year-old man was reported yelling in the street.

The intoxicated man ran into his home when police arrived, reportedly threatening to shoot them. According to police, the man was seen holding a handgun during the standoff, prompting SWAT teams to be dispatched to the scene in efforts to mitigate the encounter and protect nearby residents. According to police, hostage negotiators also were pressed into service to coax the man into surrendering.

A police officer who subsequently briefed reporters said two other people who were inside the home were safely evacuated during the protracted standoff. The two are siblings of the suspect, according to the police spokesman. Residents living near the standoff site also were safely evacuated, police added.

After some four hours of negotiations, the man was taken into custody without incident, and sent to a hospital to undergo a mental health evaluation. No shots were fired during the standoff and no injuries were reported, according to police.

The suspect is not expected to face charges, police said.

The peaceful end to the standoff exemplifies a bolstered effort by police to ensure such encounters end peacefully. Senior Officer Bino Cardenas illustrated this approach by tweeting from the scene as he passed out police stickers and "tattoos" to neighborhood children as example of outreach to assuage residents' fears amidst such situations.

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