Pharr police ended a nearly three-hour standoff with a barricaded man without death or injury, according to Chief Andrew Harvey.
Officers responded to a call of a man with a weapon inside his residence on the 900 block of East Lucas Avenue. Chief Harvey said they believe he was armed with a rifle and possibly a handgun. He also had a history of struggling with mental health problems.
“It’s important to note when the officers first arrived this morning on the call, we believe that he fired a weapon in the direction of the officers, so that’s what we’ll be investigating,” Chief Harvey said.
An officer who is a part of the mental health unit trained with dealing with people in crisis situations negotiated with the man. His wife joined officers outside and were working toward a peaceful exit. Around 11 a.m., the man stepped outside.
“He came outside; he ran back inside, and the SWAT team did use a can of tear gas to get him out. But he came out immediately and he was detained,” Chief Harvey said.
At approximately 11 a.m., police said on Facebook that the man was detained without further incident.
“We’re really focusing on getting him the help first and then we’ll see if there’s going to be any charges filed. But right now, we’re really more interested in getting him the right help that he needs,” Chief Harvey said.
The man in custody and the officers suffered no injuries, a feat the chief credited to the newly implemented mental health unit.
Police had the area contained during the hours-long incident. They had asked residents to keep away from the area as a precautionary measure.
This story has been updated to report a suspect is in custody, original story is below.
Pharr police have responded to a residence on the 900 block of East Lucas Avenue where a man with a weapon is barricaded.
According to Pharr Police Chief Andrew Harvey, no one is inside the house with him. The man’s wife is with police and attempting to help negotiate a peaceful end to the situation.
“This individual is in crisis and he is armed and he did actually fire his weapon inside his house,” Harvey said.
Police have the area contained. They are asking residents to keep away from the area as a precautionary measure.
