Police officer killed and three hospitalised in armed standoff with man barricaded in Texas house
Hospital also locked down because of location near to incident
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.One police officer was killed and three others hospitalised following a shooting in small west Texas town.
The violence unfolded as law enforcement became embroiled in an armed standoff with a man barricaded inside a house in Levelland, Texas.
The death of Sergeant Josh Bartlett, the SWAT leader of Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office, was announced by the Justice of the Peace and Constables Association of Texas.
Two other officers, one a Hockley County officer and the other a Levelland police officer, remain in critical condition, according to reports.
Levelland police were called at 1.12pm after a report of a possibly armed man.
When officers arrived at the home the situation reportedly escalated and the suspect barricaded himself inside the property and began shooting.
“At this time, local law enforcement is dealing with a barricaded subject in the 1100 block of 10th Street, between Ave J & Ave I,” the Levelland Police Department said on social media.
“There are three wounded Levelland Police Officers. All have been transported to Lubbock.
“Other agencies, including Hockley County Sheriff’s Office, DPS and Lubbock SWAT, are onsite. Please avoid this area, and allow law enforcement to keep the area secure.”
The nearby Covenant Health Levelland hospital went into lockdown because it is close to the incident, a spokesperson confirmed.
“We are aware of an incident that occurred near Covenant Health Levelland earlier this afternoon,” said a statement from Covenant Health.
“As a precaution, we locked down the hospital to ensure the safety of our patients, caregivers, and visitors. We will remain under lockdown until any threat is clear.
We have deployed Covenant security officers to the Levelland hospital as an additional security measure. We are supporting our community and law enforcement officers in Levelland and are keeping the Levelland community and the injured officers in our prayers.”
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments