Police Negotiate Suspects' Exit From House Before Realizing No One Home [Video]

SOUTH AUSTIN, TX — Police on Monday dispatched their full arsenal of SWAT equipment to a home in South Austin after receiving a call about a fight— during which a shot may or may not have been fired—with a show of force intended to coax the suspects out.

But after several hours at the scene, with officers using megaphones to blare out demands for the suspects' exit, it was determined no one was home after police gained entry into the home.

Police received a 911 call just after 5 p.m. about the reported fight at a duplex along the 2900 block of Collins Creek Drive. After initial attempts to communicate with the occupants proved unsuccessful, the SWAT team was called in as a further incentive to exit the home.

“At that time, there were a number of factors which were concerning to officers,” Austin police officer Lee Knouse said, explaining the impressive use of force dispatched to the scene. “There was the mention of a weapon, the mention of a shot being fired, and the likelihood (that the people inside) had a tactical advantage.”

The "standoff" eventually ended after 9 p.m. when the emptiness of the structure was determined. No injuries were reported, Knouse said. The investigation now turns from a shot-fired-at-home-of-fighting-residents variety to one centered on whether the call was a false alarm or someone firing an errant shot before fleeing.

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