Felon arrested after 2-hour standoff with SWAT had a loaded gun in truck, affidavit says
New information revealed in documents filed in court claim a man, who barricaded himself in a truck during a standoff with police in south Austin Sunday, fled a car crash earlier in the day and had a loaded pistol in his truck during the standoff.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — New information revealed in documents filed in court claim a man, who barricaded himself in a truck during a standoff with police in south Austin Sunday, fled a car crash earlier in the day and had a loaded pistol in his truck during the standoff.
At 2:20 p.m. Sunday, an Austin police officer allegedly witnessed a wreck between a vehicle and a pickup truck at the intersection of South Congress Avenue and East Ben White Boulevard, according to an affidavit filed in court.
The pickup truck, driven by Nathan Cruz Barrera, 36, of Rockdale, didn’t stop at the crash or try to help the other driver who was injured, officials wrote. The officer turned on the lights and sirens on his patrol car and followed Barrera but he did not pull over, officials wrote.
Eventually, Barrera pulled over at the intersection of South Congress Avenue and Sheraton Avenue. The officer said that Barrera wouldn’t comply with police commands and only rolled down his window to speak with officers. A background check on Barrera showed he had a parole violation for a weapons offense.
Barrera allegedly told police he wasn’t going to leave his truck and that officers were going to have to shoot him. The warrant also noted that Barrera made “furtive” movements, looking under his seat, near the center console, and refusing to keep his hands visible to officers. Law enforcement received information that Barrera might have one or more gun with him.
Austin police deployed a SWAT team to respond to the scene including two armored vehicles. The court documents state that SWAT officers used devices to break open the back window and deploy chemical irritants inside the truck in an attempt to get Barrera to comply. But he stayed in the truck.
Law enforcement also used a robotic device to create a larger hole in the back window area. After two hours of negotiation, Barrera finally complied and was taken into custody.
As officers searched the vehicle, they found a loaded black pistol on top of the front driver seat in plain view. Barrera, who was previously convicted of felony burglary in 2013, was not allowed to have a gun.
He was sent to the Travis County Jail on previous warrants out for his arrest and now faces additional third-degree felony charges including failure to stop and render aid, evading arrest in a vehicle and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
He also faces a parole violation, possession of less than a gram of a controlled substance charge, and eight felonies in other counties. His bonds total to $70,000.