3 cops shot at Cedar Park, Texas after gunman opens fire & barricades himself inside

Three police officers in Texas were shot in a hail of gunfire while responding to a call in Cedar Park, a suburb of Austin. The suspect barricaded himself into a house, taking hostages and refusing to leave for 18 hours.

The incident unfolded on Sunday afternoon, around 3:00 pm local time after police were called to a home off Natalia Cove in Cedar Park, a major Austin suburb with a population of about 80,000 people.

Cedar Park Police Chief Mike Harmon said that the police received a tip from the suspect’s mother, claiming that her son knocked down the door and was acting erratically.

Upon arriving at the scene, officers attempted to enter the house, but were forced to back off after they were met by a stream of gunfire.

Three responding police officers were shot in the standoff. All three injured officers were taken to hospital and are in stable condition.

Austin officer Bino Cadenas tweeted that he was “advised it’s a hostage situation,” adding that the perpetrator, who is holed up inside the property, has been threatening to kill children if police swoop on the house.

While Harmon did not confirm that the gunman had threatened to hurt those inside, he said that, apart from the suspect, three people were on the property, including the man’s mother, a juvenile and another person.

Some six hours into the standoff, the shooter still refused to give up, with Harmon saying that police have been in contact with the attacker, as well as with his mother.

“If you’re listening to this... please come out and surrender yourself peacefully so we can resolve the situation tonight,” he urged the suspect via the media as the night already fell.

After 16 hours of negotiations with police, the man released his brother, sister and family pet, but remained inside the barricaded home with his mother.

A massive police presence was spotted at the scene. “At least three ambulances” and “multiple SWAT Units” have been scrambled, FOX7 reporter Rudy Koski tweeted.

Some videos posted to social media also appear to show a police helicopter hovering over the site of the incident.

The standoff finally ended after 18 hours, when the shooter and his mother left the house "peacefully," police said, adding that the scene will remain "active." 

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