‘I’m scared’: North Abilene neighborhood’s silence shattered during police standoff

ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – A north Abilene police standoff has led to more than a dozen charges against one man, including 11 counts of aggravated assault on a public servant, possession of a firearm by a felon, evading arrest, and a warrant for possession of methamphetamine.

That standoff occurred in the late afternoon hours on Wednesday, August 13, at a home on the 2200 block of Bel Air Drive. Police say that Austin Heuermann was inside the home when police attempted to serve him a warrant at roughly 5:00 p.m., but while officers were getting other people out of the residence, Heuermann allegedly fired a shot from inside, initiating the standoff.

Neighbors in the area say that they were told by police to stay in their homes while more and more officers arrived to secure the area. Abilene S.W.A.T. was even called in for the tense situation and was shot at, which resulted in windshield damage to the S.W.A.T. team’s armored vehicle. One neighbor, who wishes to remain unidentified, observed the standoff from her property.

“There were big guns, like the cops had these giant guns. I was like, I’m not going over there. I’m scared,” she recalled.

With the standoff lasting for hours, many who live in this neighborhood had to wait diligently for police to clear the scene before returning to their homes. The individual our studio spoke to, who wishes to remain unidentified, explained how they were able to stay in their home and offered temporary shelter for those waiting for the situation to be resolved.

“There was a neighbor who was stuck over here. They got home from work. She was the grandma. She had her daughter with her and then her two grandkids, and so I invited them in and got them a couple of snacks and water and stuff because they had gotten home from work. These poor kids were out here for a long time.”

The events with this dangerous police standoff eventually resulted in the arrest of Austin Heuermann, with no injuries being reported for any suspect, civilian, or law enforcement officer. Heuermann is now being held in the Taylor County Jail on bonds totaling more than $600,000.