When a Richardson SWAT team was called out to a burglary scene, chase and standoff Tuesday morning, their hours of special training were put to the test.
Police said 19-year-old Justin Strait broke into a Lamborghini dealership.
"Initially he was just walking around," Richardson Police Department Sgt. Kevin Perlich said. "He was smashing out windows or jumping on cars. He was just walking around the show room floor.
The situation escalated when police arrived, though.
"When an officer arrived, the suspect pulled a gun and opened fire," Perlich said. "The officer fired back."
Police said strait took off and led police on chase spanning three counties. Officers used several tactics to force him to stop. After officers blew out three of Strait's tires, he stopped north of McKinney.
"You want to try as many things as possible so you don't have to go to that deadly force. That's what we were trying to do here," Perlich said. "Officers used gas, bean bag rounds and a Taser to prevent any harm to our officers and the suspect."
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Two armored tactical units blocked Strait in, while officers surrounded the SUV at a distance. SWAT officers tried to negotiate with him for hours, but received little communication.
"The situation was very difficult because we didn't know his state of mind," Perlich said. "Throughout the negotiation with officers, he never gave any indication that he knew what was happening. He just sat there in his vehicle and didn't say anything didn't make any request."
Officers then shocked Strait with a stun gun, pulled from the SUV and handcuffed him.
"This is what we train for," Perlich said. "Our officers remained unharmed and the suspect was arrested safely."
Strait was charged with attempted capital murder, burglary and evading arrest. His bond was set at $190,000.
