A tense standoff with an armed man barricaded behind his home on Forest Grove Road ended peacefully Wednesday evening, thanks in large part to the steady work of Texarkana SWAT negotiators.
Police were called to the scene after reports of a man firing at least one gunshot behind his residence. Thankfully, no one was injured. As the situation unfolded, law enforcement urged residents to steer clear of the area while they worked to resolve the incident safely.
After nearly two hours of negotiation, the man surrendered without further incident and was taken into custody. He is being booked into the Bi-State Jail on charges of Assault-Family Violence, Evading Arrest, and Unlawful Discharge of a Firearm.
Officials credited the calm and professional response of the officers on scene for helping bring the dangerous situation to a safe conclusion. One officer in particular, Zackary Gilley, was singled out for his exceptional work. Gilley, one of the first on the scene and also a trained SWAT negotiator, spent the duration of the standoff speaking with the suspect and building a rapport.
“Those efforts paid off with the man’s eventual decision to peacefully surrender,” the department said in a statement. “We commend all the officers who were out there. They did a great job dealing with an extremely dangerous situation.”
No injuries were reported, and police have since cleared the area.
