Amidst Hostage Standoff, Officer Shoots, Kills Suspect

A standoff with law enforcement on Old Plum Highway ended in an officerinvolved shooting Wednesday morning, May 20. The suspect died at the scene.

The ordeal began the evening prior, on Tuesday, May 19. According to Lt. David Beyer of the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office, deputies received multiple calls reporting suspicious activity in the vicinity of Knape Rd. Tuesday evening. Callers reported a black male and a black female, and the female appeared to be in distress. The Sheriff’s Office also received a report of a pickup truck and trailer that were stolen from property along Knape Rd.

Shortly thereafter, the Sheriff’s Office put out a Clear Alert for the 39-year-old female, which said she was last seen with a 40-year-old man named Justin Howard.

Beyer said deputies searched for the stolen pickup and trailer along with the two individuals throughout the night. They posted a photo of the stolen pickup and trailer on the Sheriff’s Office Facebook page. One person called and reported seeing the vehicle on Bolton Creek Rd. Beyer said deputies were unable to locate it Tuesday night.

A resident who saw the post about the stolen pickup on Facebook called the Sheriff’s Office Wednesday morning and reported seeing it in a pasture off Old Plum Highway. Beyer said the suspect apparently drove the pickup into the pasture and got stuck in the mud. Beyer said the Sheriff’s Office called for assistance from the Special Response Team (SRT) based out of Austin County. The SRT is made up of officers from around the region who are trained in special tactics such as hostage rescue.

“With the severity and background of the individual we were dealing with, we had a large response of law enforcement,” Beyer said. “There was no give-up in him.”

Beyer did not elaborate on the details of the shooting, citing the ongoing investigation. He did say that the suspect was armed with a handgun. The Sheriff’s Office called for a Texas Ranger to investigate, which is standard procedure in any officer-involved shooting.

“I can say at this point that the lady – the hostage who was in his custody – thanked every officer personally for saving her life,” Beyer said.

Beyer said the suspect had “badly assaulted” the female during her abduction. He added that the suspect was either out of jail on bond or on parole at the time.

“He supposedly had an ankle monitor, and he cut it off on Sunday,” Beyer said. “So he’s one of these that you see everywhere – people who keep getting released who shouldn’t be released. This is what we’re up against.”

On Wednesday morning, amidst the on-going investigation, Beyer said investigators had not yet determined what relationship the suspect and victim had with each other. He said the woman had been reported missing out of the Houston area. Investigators had not found any connection between the two of them and Fayette County, he said.

No officers were injured in the shooting. Beyer thanked the public for staying vigilant and calling the Sheriff’s Office with information, which he said greatly aided in the outcome. Beyer said the heavy rain that fell Tuesday night and Wednesday morning also worked in officers’ favor, since the suspect got stuck in the mud and couldn’t escape.

“It took some good police work, but also a little bit of luck,” Beyer said.