ROUND ROCK, Texas — Round Rock and Austin police have launched an investigation after a suspect's hours-long standoff with police involving a SWAT call and potential bomb threat. The suspect has since been hospitalized.
Police said the call originally came in around noon from family members of a man who lives on the 2300 block of Vernell Way who was suicidal. When officials arrived, police located what they believed could have been explosive devices, noting the man had possibly rigged his home with these devices.
At the time, Bradley Lane and David Curry Drive were shut down to Bowman Road and Tiger Trail. They have since reopened. A "few dozen" homes nearest to the incident scene were evacuated as a precaution. The Allen R. Baca Center (301 W. Bagdad Ave.) was set up with a room for any evacuees.
Police said a robot was eventually sent inside the residence. The suspect was located unresponsive yet breathing. Police noted the man did not have obvious trauma on his body.
When it was deemed safe for officers to enter due to the potential explosives, police said the man was "promptly" removed from the residence and transported by Williamson County EMS to an area hospital.
Officials confirmed they located at least one potentially explosive device. At a press conference around 6:30 p.m., police said roadways in the area would remain closed due to the threat, as well as evacuated residences. Roads reopened just before 7 p.m. By 7:15 p.m., the devices were determined to not be a threat and evacuations were lifted as well.
The APD bomb squad responded, along with the FBI, ATF, WCSO SWAT and Central Texas Regional SWAT, among others.
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