A Texas officer and a barricaded armed suspect were killed Saturday in a shootout, Austin Interim Chief of Police Robin Henderson said.
Two hostages were found dead and another officer was injured, authorities said.
Early Saturday morning, a woman called 911 screaming for help and saying that someone was stabbing her, Henderson said at a news conference.
Officers arrived at a home just before 3 a.m. and were told two other people were injured inside, Henderson said.
A woman who escaped the house was found nearby and told authorities the suspect had a knife. She was taken to a hospital for treatment, Henderson said.
As officers forced their way inside, the suspect fired at them, according to Henderson, who said the officers backed out of the residence and did not shoot back at that time.
“At 3:06 a.m., because the suspect was armed and barricaded inside a residence and had two hostages, SWAT was called out,” Henderson said. “At approximately 4:11 a.m., SWAT officers arrived on scene and forced entry into the residence a second time to rescue the victims.”
The suspect “immediately fired his gun at the officers, and the SWAT officers returned fire,” Henderson said.
Two officers were struck during the shootout. They were taken to a hospital. One died and the other was reported in stable condition, she said. The suspect died at the scene.
Two people were found dead in the house, she said. It wasn’t clear how they died.
Henderson said the officers involved had not been identified.
Mayor Kirk Watson said on Facebook, “My heart and the hearts of Austinites are broken this morning. This is a horrible moment for our city and those who protect us. I’m praying for the family of our fallen officer, for our officer who was shot and in surgery and his family.”