A 40-year-old man has been arrested after allegedly firing at police during a welfare check in Lake Worth, Texas, prompting a hours-long standoff and the evacuation of a nearby home.
Officers were sent to the 4200 block of Canyon Trail at about 11.33am on Saturday after receiving a welfare concern. Police said they found Anthony Danenza Jr in the front garden before he returned inside the property, retrieved a handgun and barricaded himself indoors.
Tim Mabry, assistant chief of the Lake Worth Police Department, said the welfare check developed into a report of shots fired. Danenza was seen moving in and out of the house as officers attempted to negotiate with him before police said he fired towards officers.
Fort Worth police and other agencies were called in to assist. Officers established a safety perimeter, while a neighbouring property was evacuated as a precaution and residents were told to remain indoors.
Police said bullets shattered a vehicle window and struck an upstairs window of a nearby home. No officers or residents were injured.
A SWAT team used tear gas before taking Danenza into custody without further incident. He was taken for medical clearance and faces nine counts of aggravated assault on a peace officer and four counts of deadly conduct, according to Fort Worth police arrest records.
Lake Worth police are investigating the original welfare check, while Fort Worth police are leading the investigation into the shots fired during the standoff.
