Neighbors Reeling After Swat Stand-Off

Neighbors are still reeling after a swat standoff that occurred early Sunday morning at an East El Paso apartment complex.

Police said it started with a domestic disturbance call around 3 a.m.. A man and woman were locked inside an apartment on the 11-thousand block of Vista Del Sol Drive. According to police that man was armed with a gun.

ABC7 had cameras rolling at the Lake Fairway Apartments to find out how neighbors were dealing with the stand-off that happened just feet from their homes.

“There was a sniper right at the bottom of our stairs over here and over at the other end it was crazy,” Danielle Hood was awoken by sirens and swat teams. At 5 months pregnant she said was worried for her baby. “I woke (my husband) up and I was like, ‘Uh get up we got a baby coming on, we need to protect ourselves,'” said Hood.

Between 50 and 60 swat negotiators and police officials were on the scene, according to an EPPD spokesman. Hood said she heard officials say the suspect is in the military.

“I heard them on the speaker say he’s 21, in the military and he had a wife,” said hood. ABC7 cameras spotted military investigators.

Police said it took tear gas to push out the armed man. Before that, Lake Fairway Resident Kevin Solis said he was told to evacuate.

“They actually made us leave. I was like ‘we better get out of here.’ I didn’t want my son to get hurt in any way,” said Solis.

All that was left of the struggle was taped up window where neighbors say the swat team tossed in the gas canisters inside the apartment.

“Since we’ve been here, it’s been very quiet,” said Hood.

“It’s very peaceful (at the Lake Fairway Apartments). The community here is elderly people, not elderly, but mature. Not even on the weekends do we hear parties or anything like that, so it’s kind of a shock,” said Solis.

Police said the woman inside the apartment was unharmed and came out before the tear gas. The suspect was arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He was booked into the county jail on a 50,000 dollar bond.

ABC7 contacted Fort Bliss to see if anyone could confirm that the suspect is in the military and is still waiting for a response.