A 40-year-old man is behind bars after a tense predawn SWAT standoff at a west Fort Worth apartment complex today ended with officers finding him hiding in a closet. Police say the hours-long ordeal wrapped up without anyone getting hurt.
Officers were first dispatched around 3:20 a.m. after a 911 caller reported that a man was trying to set an apartment on fire, prompting a heavy response of roughly 25 police units. A SWAT team was called in a little after 5:20 a.m., according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. The standoff ended when officers entered the unit and located the suspect tucked away in a closet, where he was arrested, the paper reports.
SWAT Response and Tactics
The Fort Worth Police Department’s SWAT unit is tasked with handling barricaded suspects and other high-risk calls and reports, executing more than 250 tactical operations each year. In situations like this one, SWAT teams work alongside patrol officers and negotiators to secure the scene and protect residents and officers, as outlined by the Fort Worth Police Department.
The Suspect and Charges
Jail records reviewed by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram identify the arrested man as 40-year-old Lafayette Easterling. Police told the paper he was wanted in connection with an assault earlier that day and had several outstanding warrants. Officials did not immediately release information on his formal charges or bond…