Kids taken hostage, three officers shot in standoff

[Mark Tyson]

More sad news:

====================

Kids taken hostage, three officers shot in standoff

Wednesday, November 12, 2003 Posted: 10:11 AM EST (1511 GMT)

DALLAS, Texas (AP) -- Three officers were shot and wounded early Wednesday during a standoff at an apartment, and officials said they feared two people were dead in a bedroom.

Three children remained inside the apartment with a shotgun-wielding man, a police spokesman said. Police said they were able to rescue four other children when they arrived.

The episode began about 3:40 a.m. when police went to the Meadowpark Apartments in southwest Dallas because of reports of gunfire. The officers entered and found seven children unhurt, but were told that the gunman was inside a bedroom, said Sgt. Gil Cerda, a police spokesman. The three officers were shot when officers entered the bedroom, he said.

"There's possibly two deceased persons in the bedroom inside with the shooter," Cerda said.

The officers retreated, and adjacent apartments were evacuated as the standoff continued, Cerda said. Three of the seven children remained in the apartment, and authorities said they could be seen through a window and appeared to be unharmed.

Police negotiators were brought in, Cerda said. About 6 a.m., police fired tear gas in an attempt to re-enter the building.

The officers were taken to nearby Methodist Hospital where they were in good condition, said nursing administrator Tom Hall.

A neighbor said the sound of gunfire awakened him.

"I heard three big gunshots. About 10 minutes later, the police came, knocked on doors and said that we had to 'get out, get out now,"' Darrell Davis said.

"When they found the gunman in there, there were about three shots from a big gun and we all ran for cover," he said.

 

[FedDC]

I'm sure that the cop haters around here will still find a way to blame the police...maybe they used a no knock warrant and the guy had to shoot everyone. He was probably just defending his meth lab...I mean home against the evil JBTs that are enforcing the unconstitutional drug laws.

On a serious note, God Speed to the officers and their recovery. I hope that guy is taking a long dirt nap.

 

[SkySlash]

I heard an officer on scene on the radio this morning. He said that the three officers that were shot responded to a shots fired called from that apartment. They were ambushed as they tried to enter a bedroom in the apartment, and they called for backup as they retreated. The officer stated the officers injuries were non-life threatening, and that they were caused by a single shotgun burst at close range.

The officer stated that 2 children have been removed from the apartment, and they believe that there is only one child and two to three adults remaining with the suspect.

Details were scarce given that they are still negotiating with the suspect and they didn't want to let on how much they really knew in case he is watching tv or listening to the radio.

-SS

 

[Sean Smith]

Sounds bad all around. Good luck to the good guys.

 

[t-stox]

I'm sure that the cop haters around here will still find a way to blame the police...maybe they used a no knock warrant and the guy had to shoot everyone. He was probably just defending his meth lab...I mean home against the evil JBTs that are enforcing the unconstitutional drug laws

Actions speak louder than.... since the eighties i've known several people who don't use drugs and are conservative but have come to belive thaT drugs should be decriminalized. Why? because of the BS the authorities use to wage this "war" For every innocent citizen searched in an attempt to find drugs , thats one more person who realizes the fed is out of control. There are literally thousands of horror stories about this I can't even list them all. And all I have to ask is this question- How is this "new" Prohibition-era thing gonna have an outcome different than the original prohibition? people just gonna say, "wow drugs are bad i'm gonna give'em up" NONSENSE!

 

[Correia]

Lets keep this on topic folks. No fighting about JBTs or the war on drugs please. Go start a new thread.

 

[Andrew Rothman]

It's over

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/apus_story.asp?category=1110&slug=Dallas+Standoff

Gunman, 2 others dead in Dallas standoff

By BOBBy ROSS
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER

DALLAS -- A police standoff ended after nine hours Wednesday with a gunman and two other people dead and four officers wounded. Eight hostages, a woman and seven children, were safely released.

SWAT team officers shot and killed Francisco Fuentes, 32, a resident of the apartment who had held them at bay much of the day and fired at officers two separate times.

Police found two other men dead in the apartment, apparently shot by Fuentes before police arrived earlier in the day to investigate reports of gunfire, spokesman Sgt. Gil Cerda said. Their names were not released.

Police hadn't determined the motive in the hostage-taking and killings and were questioning the woman who had been held hostage, Cerda said.

Neighbor Darrell Davis said he was awakened by gunfire, and then police told residents to "`get out, get out now!'"

"When they found the gunman in there, there were about three shots from a big gun and we all ran for cover," he said.

When police were first summoned to the Meadow Parc Apartments, the children in the apartment told them that Fuentes was inside a bedroom with a gun. Fuentes wounded three officers when they entered the bedroom, Cerda said. The officers saw the body of at least one man on the floor, he said.

The officers retreated after they were wounded and four children were freed at that time.

Over the next few hours, Fuentes released the other three children and the woman he had been holding hostage, authorities said. The woman's relationship to the man was not immediately clear.

Eventually, police filled the apartment with tear gas in an attempt to end the standoff, then burst in to the apartment. They killed Fuentes when, for a second time, he fired at officers, Cerda said. That was when the fourth officer was wounded, he said.

All of the wounded officers were in good condition and their injuries are not life-threatening, authorities said.

 

[Standing Wolf]

A nickel says he won't do that again real soon.

 

[Ryder]

Ten cents says those people didn't consider themselves hostages and could have walked out anytime they wanted.

 

[cordex]

This, my friends, is what SWAT is supposed to be used for.
Glad none of the officers were killed, and wish them all a speedy recovery.

 

[LawDog]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,102869,00.html

DALLAS — A daylong standoff between police and a gunman ended Wednesday with the man and two other people dead and four officers wounded. Seven children and a woman held as hostages were released unharmed.

SWAT team (search) officers shot and killed Francisco Fuentes, 32, who had held them at bay for nine hours and fired twice at officers. Fuentes had been in a standoff with police that ended peacefully two months earlier.

A police report said Fuentes broke into an apartment about 2:45 a.m. and fatally shot one man in the chest with a shotgun. He went into a bedroom where the woman and other man were sleeping and shot the man in the head. Fuentes then barricaded himself in the bedroom with the hostages.

Police hadn't determined the motive in the hostage-taking and killings, and they were questioning the woman who had been held hostage, spokesman Sgt. Gil Cerda said. Fuentes was the father of at least two of the children, police said.

The police report identified the woman as Fuentes' wife, though acquaintances described her as his ex-wife. The men killed were identified as Mario Rios, 30, and John Watson, 31.

In early September, Fuentes was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after a five-hour standoff with police that ended peacefully in the nearby suburb of Lancaster (search). Police Commander Pat Stallings said Fuentes barricaded himself alone in a house after shooting at Watson's car. The two men had argued earlier in the day at the same apartment complex where Wednesday's standoff occurred, Stallings said.

In addition to aggravated assault in that incident, Fuentes was accused of interfering with child custody and violation of a protective order. He was free on $25,000 bond and was scheduled to appear in court next week, records show.

Neighbor Darrell Davis said he was awakened by gunfire Wednesday morning, and then police told residents to "'get out, get out now!'"

"When they found the gunman in there, there were about three shots from a big gun and we all ran for cover," he said.

When police were summoned to the apartment, the children told them that Fuentes was inside a bedroom with a gun. Fuentes wounded three officers when they entered the bedroom, Cerda said. The officers saw the body of at least one man on the floor, he said.

The officers retreated after they were wounded and four children were freed at that time.

Over the next few hours, Fuentes released the other three children and the woman, authorities said.

Eventually, police filled the apartment with tear gas, then burst into the apartment. They killed Fuentes when, for a second time, he fired at officers, Cerda said. The fourth officer was wounded in that assault, he said.

All the wounded officers were in good condition and their injuries are not life-threatening, authorities said.

Ten cents says those people didn't consider themselves hostages and could have walked out anytime they wanted.

Mmm. All we have to go on right now is Media reports, and we all know how accurate those are.

What I'm seeing here is an ex-wife, possibly wife, who seems to be living with/having intimate relations with another man. (The poor guy who got executed in the bed next to the woman.)

Fuentes's children are involved. (The Interference with Child Custody charges from the prior arrest)

There is apparently a history of violence towards the wife/ex-wife and/or the children. (The Violation of a Protective Order charges from the prior arrest indicates that a Magistrates' Order of Protection had been served - that suggests Family Violence/Domestic Violence/Stalking to me).

Given these facts, I seriously doubt if the wife/ex-wife or the children felt that they "could have walked out anytime they wanted".

LawDog

 

[Matt G]

Well stated.

Please also consider that, just a few years ago (pre-Columbine/Active Shooter doctrine), the S.O.P. would have been to back off and wait for SWAT, during which time the shooter may have shot the other hostages. Instead, the three officers moved in and got shot for their troubles. I absolutely agree with the principle of the Active Shooter doctrine (Someone's still on scene, with blood still being spilled? Go get him, now.), but please understand that following the new S.O.P. will almost certainly result in some more cops getting hurt in the line of duty.

Go in and get the guy and maybe get shot, or wait outside with thumbs up their... noses... and let the hostages get shot?

Three guesses which option would elicit more criticism here, and the first two don't count!

 

[carpettbaggerr]

So this guy had attempted to do this before, and he was out walking the streets 2 months later. He'd violated a restraining order before, and they still let him out on bail. So now you get 4 people dead and 4 cops shot, because they couldn't keep him in jail.

 

[Standing Wolf]

He was free on $25,000 bond and was scheduled to appear in court next week, records show.

Looks like a clue to me.

 

[Greybeard]

Fox4 TV news this morning reporting that injured officers could be on considerably reduced pay while recoving. Dallas budget cuts. One officer said to be hit by friendly fire. One with "elbow blown out".

Prayers for all.

 

[Sylvilagus Aquaticus]

Yes, City of Dallas has cut the benefits to officers this year. They will only have 13 weeks of workers' comp/service disability pay, at 70% of pay at grade. After that they must use their sick days and vacation time for the remainder of any time off on disability.

The BG shouldn't have been out on bond.

We had another 'possible hostage situation' today in Dallas- woman with " a high-powered rifle' (later reported as an AK and a shotgun) was holed up in a 7th floor condo just south of downtown. Resolved without injury or shots fired, but the SWAT team fully mobilized for another time this week.

Thanks for your dedication and hard work, DPD. You all earned your checks this week. I just wish you got bigger ones.

Regards,
Rabbit.

 

[jrhead75]

A speedy recovery to the injured officers. Well done.

 

[searcher1]

No one says that you allowed to fire a weapon without the police being called.

 

[searcher1]

I also noticed that no one said having a firearm would have preventend this?????????????? Am I missing something? MP

 

[bogusUser bogusName]

The reason he killed those people is that his complaints to cps about the low life scum he shot abusing his children were ignored. He killed a child molester. He had to, as the so called law did nothing.

As far as the lady with the "AK", I'll bet a years salary it was not a real AK. I don't see anywhere any real info on what she actually did. What crime has she commited other than scaring her husband?

As far a DPD benefits cuts, I see it as a good thing. The taxpayers are bled to death around here anyway. I say start collecting funds from the illegal aliens your criminal city council has just endorsed.

 

[cordex]

The reason he killed those people is that his complaints to cps about the low life scum he shot abusing his children were ignored. He killed a child molester. He had to, as the so called law did nothing.

*shrug* That may well be. He may have killed an SOB that needed to die.
But he didn't just shoot one child molester. He killed his ex too, right? edit: (no, some other person, but the point stands) He did his level best to kill the responding police too.

If his actions were so justified, he should have shot the alleged molester and then offed himself or faced the music.

Killing his ex-wife and then trying to kill the police who showed up ... that just isn't right.

 

[Roadkill Coyote]

User Name

The reason he killed those people is that his complaints to cps about the low life scum he shot abusing his children were ignored. He killed a child molester. He had to, as the so called law did nothing.

He may or may not have had a grievance, but there is no reason to suggest that he was justified in shooting a third party (not his ex) in the living room, or the police officer who reponded. There has been nothing in the news reports to suggest that Mario Rios, the first victim, did anything to Fuentes. On top of that his ex, has a differant view of the child abuse complaint, which appear to have been fully investigated by CPS (the "so called law" that did "nothing").

Standoff victim says kids 'loved'

And it appears that this paragon of concern for his children, is recorded on the 911 tape threatening to kill those very children.

Man threatened kids in standoff

It would appear that a murderous and abusive waste of oxygen killed two innocent people, caused injury to four police officers, and then got his final reward about ten hour too late.

 

[TheeBadOne]

UPDATE

Dallas Officers Injured In Standoff Remain Hospitalized

DALLAS -- Two of four Dallas police officers injured during a standoff Wednesday remain hospitalized.

But friends and family said their final goodbyes Saturday in Ferris, Texas, to the two victims of the crime.

So many people attended the funerals of John Watson and Mario Rios that some had to wait outside.

Dallas police say Francisco Fuentes shot the victims.

Relatives of the slain men said the legal system failed them.

"Nov. 12 was a very tragic day. It was a day that could have been prevented, if the courts would have taken action they way they should have," John Watson's brother, Jesus Tobias, said.

Both Watson and Rios leave children behind.

http://www.nbc5i.com/news/2642438/detail.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Relatives of the slain men said the legal system failed them.

I guess those same men didn't fail anyone...

 

[Dorian]

I also noticed that no one said having a firearm would have preventend this?????????????? Am I missing something? MP

Who having a firearm? Or did you mean someone not having a firearm?

I don't understand exactly what you're saying here. But if you mean "If he hadn't had a gun noone would've been hurt/killed." then I think you are dead wrong.

The two people killed in the bed could've been stabbed, beaten with a bat, set on fire, etc.