The Austin Police Department is currently investigating a hostage situation that occurred overnight, resulting in the deaths of one police officer and two hostages.
A second officer was injured and is currently in stable condition at a local hospital. The suspect involved in the incident has also been pronounced dead.
Interim Chief of Police Robin Henderson briefed the press on Saturday morning about the unfortunate events. She expressed deep sorrow, describing the situation as “a very tragic incident for all involved.”
The emergency services were alerted to the crisis at around 2:49 a.m. from a distress call originating from 9308 Bernoulli Drive. According to Henderson, the caller was desperately seeking help and reported being stabbed.
When police officers arrived at the location at approximately 2:57 a.m., they found two other individuals wounded inside the residence along with the suspect. Before the police’s arrival, a third victim managed to escape and was subsequently hospitalized.
Upon their arrival at 3:00 a.m., the officers announced their presence and forcefully entered the house. This led to the suspect opening fire on them. The officers retreated without returning fire. At 3:06 a.m., SWAT was summoned to the scene and arrived shortly after at 4:11 a.m.
During the SWAT team’s entry into the house, there was an exchange of gunfire between them and the suspect.
At 4:15 a.m., it was reported via radio that two officers had been shot. They were immediately transported to a hospital, but unfortunately, one SWAT officer, identified by Mayor Kirk Watson’s chief of staff as SPO Jorge Pastore, succumbed to his injuries.
Pastore, who joined the Austin Police Department with the 141st Cadet Class on June 24, 2019, and was commissioned on January 31, 2020, was a distinguished member of various units, including the Honor Guard, SWAT Gold Team, CAST, and SRT. He was actively serving in the Henry and George sectors.
Interim Police Chief Henderson, expressing her profound grief, called for a tribute to SPO Jorge Pastore, acknowledging his bravery and heroism. She also requested continued prayers and thoughts for Pastore’s family and the second injured officer.
The two hostages and the suspect were declared dead at the scene.
In response to the event, Mayor Watson conveyed his and the city’s heartbreak, recognizing the gravity of the situation for Austin and its law enforcement community.
