A man believed to have shot a deputy sent to arrest him on child sex charges Wednesday has died in a standoff. Despite being shot three times, the deputy escaped serious injury and has been released from the hospital to recover at home, the sheriff says.
According to the Tarrant County Sheriff's Department, Deputy Todd Tipton was shot multiple times as he approached a home on the 2900 block of Elinor Street at about noon Wednesday to arrest a man accused of sex crimes against a child.
Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourn said Tipton was shot once in the arm and once in the lower back and also suffered a grazing wound to the back of the neck.
"He has been shot three different times, but by the grace of God, none of them were life-threatening," Waybourn said. "Our deputy is going to be just fine."
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Waybourn said Tipton did not need immediate surgery, was stable, and was conscious and alert when visiting with his family in the hospital early Wednesday afternoon. By 4:30 p.m., Waybourn said Tipton had been cleared to go home and would be discharged.
"The miraculous thing is it missed everything, every vital organ. He is resting right now and believe it or not … he'll be discharged and going home here directly," Waybourn said. "It's just an incredible miracle that we're so thankful for that he'll be leaving the hospital and resting in his bed tonight and having supper at his house."
Fort Worth Chief of Police Neil Noakes said SWAT officers were forced to enter the home over threats to supposed hostages the man said he had inside. When the officers went in, Noakes said, the man started shooting and the officers returned fire.
Nearly two hours after the first shots were fired, deputies were seen removing someone from the house. Smoke was seen billowing from a broken window, but the source of the smoke was unclear.
Meanwhile, the man accused of shooting the deputy refused to surrender and barricaded himself inside his home.
At about 3:20 p.m., Fort Worth police confirmed to NBC 5 that the man involved in the standoff had died. Fort Worth police Sgt. Leah Wagner said the man died of a gunshot wound, though investigators were not yet able to determine whether police had shot the man or if his wound was self-inflicted.
Wagner said officers searched the home for the supposed hostages, but no one else was found inside the home. There were no other injuries reported other than minor injuries to SWAT officers hit by flying glass.
The wanted man's name has not been released, but Jennifer Gabbert, the sheriff's department's chief of staff, said he was wanted for three felonies, including sexual assault of a child, indecency with a child sexual contact, and unlawful restraint under 17 years of age.
TARRANT COUNTY DEPUTY A 13-YEAR VETERAN OF THE DEPARTMENT
Sheriff Waybourn said Tipton has had a decorated 13-year career with the sheriff's office and is a member of the department's SWAT team.
"He is an experienced fugitive officer and SWAT operator. He has performed magnificently. He has been decorated and awarded. He's that quiet guy in the corner that just does his job every day and does it very well," Waybourn said. "[I] lost my heart when I was told about that [shooting]."
Waybourn described Tipton as a rockstar fugitive officer who executes warrants daily and was doing his duty when he was shot.
Tipton, Waybourn said, is unmarried and does not have any children.
RESIDENTS ASKED TO SHELTER IN PLACE
While the standoff was underway, Haltom City police asked people to stay away from the area near Chesser Boyer Road and 28th Street and for those already in the area to shelter in place.
The shelter-in-place request was lifted before 3 p.m., but people were still asked to avoid the area Wednesday afternoon while the investigation continued.
Late Wednesday afternoon, the residents who live in the area were allowed to return home.
