Crime Time

SWAT: More details from standoff in northwest Fort Worth

A 27-year-old man was in police custody Friday evening after he engaged the Fort Worth SWAT team for more than five hours in a standoff on the city’s northwest side.

Justin Hallmark was being evaluated at a Fort Worth hospital after SWAT officers used gas and a "non-lethal" device to take him into custody, said Sgt. Kelly Peel, police spokesman.

The SWAT team responded around noon to a report of a suicidal person at the home in the 8500 block of Lake Country Drive, near the south end of Eagle Mountain Lake.

Officers also were called to the home Thursday night on a similar complaint.

"The threat diminished," Peel said, "so SWAT was not utilized overnight."

On Friday, however, Hallmark appeared suicidal. His mother was in the house then, and "she was in danger at one point," Peel said. He added that Hallmark "was threatening assault" with a handgun.

She was not in the home when SWAT launched gas at abot 5:21 p.m.

It was a "pivotal" time to do that, Peel said, because Hallmark was seen on a balcony with no weapon.

"A less-than-lethal foam round was deployed into the leg of the suspect," Peel said.

He added that Hallmark faces a charge of aggravated assault.

-- Bill Miller

Twitter: @Bill_MillerST

UPDATE: SWAT standoff ends in northwest Fort Worth

A man was arrested around 5:30 p.m. Friday after engaging a SWAT team for more than five hours in the 8000 block of Lake Country Drive in northwest Fort Worth.

Scanner traffic indicated that gas and a "less lethal" device were part of the SWAT toolbox in the standoff. The neighborhood is near the south end of Eagle Mountain Lake.

Officials for Saginaw schools said their buses were routed around the area.

Details that lead to the standoff were not immediately available early Friday evening.

-- Bill Miller

 

Happening now: SWAT standoff in NW FW; shooting on east side

Our shift began around 2 p.m. and right away we started monitoring a standoff between Fort Worth SWAT and a man at a home on Lake Country Drive. That's in northwest Fort Worth, near the south end of Eagle Mountain Lake.

This started around noon. We're waiting on an update while chasing other stories.

For example, it seemed there was a spate of shootings around 3 p.m. on the opposite end of town. With visions of a running gun battle in mind, we started checking into them.

It turns out there was just one shooting. Officer Sharron Neal, police spokeswoman, had this explanation:

"This is what we know right now: We have only one victim who made several calls. The victim stated he was in the area of 4616 Miller and was shot by an unknown (man) for no reason. The victim advised that he drove away from the scene and called police several times until he reached the location on Cottey Street where his family called MedStar. The victim was transported to an area hospital with non life threatening injuries."

That's about all we're going to have on that incident, but check back to see how the SWAT standoff ends.

 -- Bill Miller

Twitter: @Bill_MillerST

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Your Blotter: Homicide; cop dragged behind car; a standoff; gas station robbed

Terry Evans and Jessamy Brown don't normally write about crime for the Star-Telegram, but they had their hands full of it Friday while filling in for vacationing colleagues.

Here's some of the headlines they generated:

Fatal shooting in far east Fort Worth investigated

Off-duty Godley police officer dragged by suspect vehicle

Standoff in Fort Worth ends without incident

Gas station robbed in southwest Fort Worth

-- Bill Miller

 

SWAT team, Steven Seagal called in for cockfighting suspect's arrest

SWAT teams members in full gear make their way to a suspect's house. A bomb robot is deployed. Actor Steven Seagal approaches the house, riding in a tank.

No, it's not the latest action B-movie. It's a real-life arrest.

Phoenix TV news station KPHO reports that Sheriff Joe Arpaio sent dozens of SWAT team members, armored vehicles, a bomb robot and the aging action film star when the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office executed a search warrant for a man accused of cockfighting.

The homeowner, Jesus Llovera, was alone and unarmed when he was arrested on suspicion of cockfighting.

In probably the most telling moment of all, a neighbor told reporters that Seagal's tank came in and pushed down a wall only to reveal a bunch of chickens.

Llovera's attorney said he believes there was no probable cause to believe his client was dangerous and the massive display of force was only used to boost ratings for Steven Seagal's reality TV show "Lawman."

The Sheriff's Department and Seagal apparently have a contract that has him tag along with the sheriff when arrests are made.

And as a sad postscript to this bizarre saga, 115 birds were euthanized on the spot. Won't somebody please think of the chickens?

-Chance Welch

Drug raid gunfire wounds 2 officers; 3 charged with attempted capital murder

A drug raid in south Fort Worth turned violent Thursday night as gunfire erupted.

Staff writer Mitch Mitchell reports that two police officers and one of the suspects were wounded in the exchange of gunfire.

“It was hard for officers to hear what was happening with all the gunfire,” Fort Worth Police Chief Jeffrey Halstead said during a press conference Thursday night at John Peter Smith Hospital. “But it does not appear that SWAT officers had fired their weapons at the time.”

You can read Mitch's full report here.

We have an update on this story from Deanna Boyd, who reports that three men have been charged with attempted capital murder in this case. You can read Deanna's report here.

-- Lance Murray

SWAT kills dad holding his daughter hostage

SWAT officers rescued a 2-year-old girl Sunday night in Lynwood, Calif., after shooting her father to death as he held her hostage.

The man had reportedly shot and wounded his wife before holding their daughter hostage. The toddler was not harmed, police said.

"The suspect was hit. The little girl was rescued," Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputy Byron Ward said.

The mother is expected to survive, police said. Lynwood is a suburb to the south of Los Angeles.

-- Lance Murray

SWAT team kills man upset by condo complex's fees

SWAT team members in Pompano Beach, Fla., shot and killed a man Friday who was upset over his condominium association dues and had taken two association employees hostage.

A Broward County Sheriff's spokesman said that Patrick Dellisanti, 57, stormed in the complex's clubhouse and demanded to speak with an association employee. He told two women there that he was upset over the fees, police said, and waved a revolver in the air before shooting at the ground.

He released the women and emerged from the clubhouse, but did not follow orders to put his gun down. Officers shot him when he put the gun to his head, the spokesman said.

-- Lance Murray

Tense 10-hour standoff has deadly ending

The situation in downtown Alexandria, La., was dire. A gunman and the police were in a standoff. He'd shot five people, two of them fatally. Much of the downtown area was blocked off.

But after 10 hours of high-stakes drama, police used explosives to enter the law office where 63-year-old John Ashley was conducting his reign of terror.

An exchange of gunfire ensued and Ashley was killed.

Read the Associated Press report here.

-- Lance Murray

Jailed man underwent castration after wounding

A man, who underwent surgical castration after he was shot in the groin during a police raid in McKinney, has been sentenced to five years in prison for firing at the officers.

Guillermo Urquiza, 27, said he was asleep at home in April 2006 when a police SWAT team burst in to arrest him and look for evidence that he had solicited an informant to kill a police officer, The Associated Press reported.

Urquiza shot at the officers but didn't hit anyone. The officers, who said they fired after hearing gunshots, wounded Urquiza in the groin and stomach. He has since undergone seven surgeries, including the castration.

Urquiza is an illegal immigrant from Mexico who will be deported when he gets out of prison.

-- Bill Miller