Man shot dead after pointing gun at Watauga officers during suicidal person call: police
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Police in Watauga shot and killed a man they said pointed a gun at officers when they were responding to a call about a suicidal person, according to a news release.
Austin Joseph Schwarz, 29, died in the emergency room of a Fort Worth hospital, according to the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office. An autopsy is pending.
Officers arrived in the 7700 block of Virgie Court around 3 a.m. Friday after getting information that someone in the area was suicidal and armed and dangerous, according to the release. Officers tried to negotiate for several hours with Schwarz, but after he fired a weapon several times inside the home, the man walked out the front door and raised the gun toward the officers, police said.
Two officers, “in fear of imminent bodily injury or death,” shot him, authorities said in the release. Officers immediately began performing emergency medical aid until Schwarz was transported by ambulance to a local hospital, where he died in the emergency room around 6 a.m., according to police and the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office.
The Texas Rangers are investigating the shooting by officers.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a hotline for individuals in crisis or for those looking to help someone else. To speak with someone, dial 988.
This story was originally published January 6, 2023 at 6:21 PM.