AUSTIN, Texas — A fire destroyed the home of a Southwest Austin man who had been in a standoff with police after firing a gun from the residence when city code personnel came to cut his lawn.
City code enforcement and Austin police personnel had an administrative warrant to conduct lawn maintenance at the home in the Circle C Ranch neighborhood.
They were visiting the home around 9:15 a.m. Wednesday morning, said officer Jose Mendez, a police spokesman.
"At some point during the maintenance process, personnel on scene began taking fire from the resident inside," Mendez said. "Officers and personnel on scene were able to escape the gunfire and get to safety."
No one was reported injured, but police are unclear if the man was targeting the city staff or was firing into the air.
“They attempted to cut the lawn for him, and this is the reaction they got,” Mendez said.
SWAT officers were called to the home and the neighborhood was closed to traffic. Nearby residents have been asked to stay in place.
The man, who has not been identified by police, had refused to leave the home and had not communicated with police, Mendez said. He was only described as a man in his 50s.
Then around 3:20 p.m., Austin firefighters responded to the home after the home became fully engulfed in flames, Austin Fire officials said.
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