FLOWER MOUND, Texas — Editor’s note: If you or someone you know needs help or has suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
Three Texas police officers are recovering from their injuries and a man is in custody after gunfire erupted during a standoff in Flower Mound, authorities said.
#NOW Additional SWAT operators arriving on scene just as rapid gunfire is heard. Earlier this evening 3 officers were wounded by this barricaded suspect. This unfolding in a #FlowerMound neighborhood. Latest with @ShannonMFox4 @GoodDayFox4 @FOX4 pic.twitter.com/paMLUZDiPD
— FOX4Terry (@FOX4Terry) May 27, 2021
Here are the latest updates:
Update 1:30 p.m. EDT May 27: Police identified the man accused of shooting three police officers Wednesday night in Flower Mound as Bryan Hucabee.
Authorities said Hucabee opened fire on officers responding to a call about the 60-year-old making suicidal threats. He has been charged with three counts of felony aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Police said additional charges against Hucabee were pending on Thursday.
Bryan Hucabee, 60, of Flower Mound, has been charged with three counts of felony aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in relation to the overnight incident on Termaine Drive. Additional charges are pending. pic.twitter.com/ymRiK9uKQL
— Flower Mound PD (@FlowerMoundPD) May 27, 2021
Update 10:55 a.m. EDT May 27: Police said Thursday that the officers injured at the start of a nearly 11-hour standoff in Flower Mound suffered injuries that did not appear to be life-threatening.
“The great thing about these officers and the way they responded and the tactics that they used -- they’re all SWAT trained,” Sgt. Jason Rachal, public information officer for Flower Mound police, said Thursday at a news conference. “Each of them (was) wearing their amour plating, which is rated for rifle rounds. And that is really, really what allowed them to basically escape with minor injuries.”
Police Chief Andy Kancel said the officers were shot while responding Wednesday night to a report of a 60-year-old man making suicidal threats. Police said they got the call from the man’s wife, who went to a neighbors house and called authorities around 7 p.m.
One officer’s ballistic shield was shot, shattering the glass and injuring the officer, who has been with the Flower Mound Police Department for four years. A second officer, who has been with the department for 14 years, was struck by bullet fragments in the neck, face and shoulder, Kancel said. Both the officers were taken to hospitals for treatment and released Wednesday night.
The last injured officer, a 13-year veteran of the department, was shot in the chest while wearing a ballistic plate. Kancel said he was taken to a hospital as a precaution.
“We’re very blessed and we’re very thankful that the injuries to the officers were not more severe,” Kancel said Thursday. “We count our blessings for that.”
Authorities said the suspected shooter surrendered to officials around 5:30 a.m. after members of the FBI fired tear gas into the home. He was taken to a hospital as a precaution due to the tear gas used. Kancel declined to immediately identify the man, who is expected to be booked into jail to face charges for the incident.
Update 6:42 a.m. EDT May 27: Police have taken a man into custody after a nearly 11-hour standoff ended early Thursday, according to KXAS and KDFW.
No further information about the man, including his identity or whether he was facing criminal charges, was immediately available.
UPDATE— Flower Mound Police say the man surrendered peacefully and the standoff is over. The three officers shot are all said to be okay and out of the hospital. pic.twitter.com/rdsINYoKiw
— Shannon Murray (@ShannonMFox4) May 27, 2021
Original report: According to KXAS and WFAA, the standoff began about 7 p.m. CDT Wednesday and was still ongoing Thursday morning outside a Termaine Drive home. The Flower Mound Police Department said a suicidal man, who was the only person inside the home, opened fire, injuring three of the responding officers.
One officer, whose bulletproof vest was struck, was treated at the scene, KXAS reported. Emergency crews took the two others, including one who suffered a graze wound to the neck and another hurt when a bullet went through his shield, to a nearby hospital for treatment, according to WFAA. Both were later released, authorities said.
Shortly before 1:30 a.m. Thursday, police took to Facebook to say the standoff was still underway.
“We are still working toward a peaceful resolution to this incident,” the post read.
UPDATE (5:45 a.m.): The subject is in custody. As officers continue their investigation, a police presence will remain...
Posted by Flower Mound Police Department on Wednesday, May 26, 2021
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