Murder suspect in custody after shots fired at Dallas police serving warrant in east Oak Cliff

Shots were fired at Dallas police officers who were trying to execute a warrant for a murder suspect Wednesday, prompting an “active scene” alert in east Oak Cliff as the gunman barricaded himself inside a home during a long standoff with authorities.

No officers were wounded as they confronted the man, police Chief Eddie García said. Several children in the home were quickly removed.

The man surrendered to police just after 7 p.m., according to the department. Police identified him as 28-year-old Julio Guerrero.

Guerrero was wanted in the fatal May 2 shooting of 35-year-old Francisco Villanueva Rodriguez in Far East Dallas as well as a shooting at an east Oak Cliff gas station the following week that wounded a 3-year-old girl.

Police said he also had three outstanding warrants on charges of aggravated assault and would face additional counts of aggravated assault of a public servant.

García praised his officers’ work on Twitter following the arrest, writing “NO ONE BETTER!”

García said during a news conference earlier in the day that the incident began about 6 a.m. when a U.S. Marshals task force began surveillance of the suspect.

Authorities tracked the man to a home in the 4500 block of Humphrey Drive, northwest of Interstate 45 and Loop 12, about 10:30 a.m. and “began converging” on it, García said.

The suspect became aware of authorities and “ran out of the home and started shooting at our officers,” García said. The man then “doubled back and barricaded himself inside the home.”

A Dallas police office and a Dallas County sheriff’s deputy returned fire, police said.

A police spokesman initially said he did not believe there were children in the home, but police said Wednesday night that five small children were inside and that officers were able to safely get them out of the home.

“I’m proud of my officers, and we are very fortunate we did not lose a police officer’s life chasing an individual who is causing our community harm,” García said during the news conference.

More than two dozen marked and unmarked Dallas police cars lined 51st Street between Cranfill and Wadsworth drives as the afternoon wore on. A firetruck and ambulance also were staged in the street.

Police deployed tear gas and used “distraction devices” during the standoff with the suspect, said Sgt. Warren Mitchell, a police spokesman.

Guerrero surrendered more than eight hours into the standoff. Police said he did not appear to be injured but was getting a medical evaluation.

The incident remains under investigation, police said.