Man Uses Child as Shield, Killed by Fort Worth SWAT

A man is dead after using a child as a shield while shooting at police from a Fort Worth apartment Thursday.

Fort Worth police said a woman called 911 and whispered to dispatchers that there was a man with a gun inside a residence at the 2900 Broadmoor apartments and that there were people inside being held hostage, including children.

As officers arrived they took fire from a third-floor apartment. Wearing body armor, helmets and shields, officers went to the third floor and confronted the man who was using a child as a shield.

The man, whose name has not yet been released, then raised a weapon and fired at police, hitting an officer’s shield.

“Because the suspect was using a child as a shield officers could not return fire at that time and they backed away,” said interim Chief of Police Ed Kraus.

As dozens of officers, including SWAT, surrounded the building, the man continued to fire on officers from the third floor, police said.

SWAT officers then went upstairs, heard more gunfire and decided to forcefully enter the residence.

“They breached the door and encountered the suspect still holding a weapon in close proximity to the children — at least one shot was fired by our SWAT officers and the suspect was hit,” Kraus said.

The man was then carried downstairs by police and placed on a gurney where he was transported to an area hospital where he later died.

None of the hostages or police were injured, police said in a tweet

It is not yet known what the relationships were between the people in the apartment or what led to outbreak of violence Thursday.

The Fort Worth Police Department’s Major Case Unit is investigating the shooting.

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