Austin police said a suspect is in custody after a SWAT response shut down parts of Texas 71 in South Austin Thursday afternoon.
Upon arrival, officers located victims who advised that a suspect had thrown large items, such as rocks or bricks, from the overpass onto Ben White Boulevard, according to Austin police public information officer Austin Zarling.
Videos shared on social media show the man throwing items at cars taking the Congress Avenue exit. Police were not able to confirm where he was throwing items from, but said he was in an elevated position.
“At this time, four vehicles were damaged, and we have four victims of deadly conduct due to that incident,” Zarling told media on Thursday evening. “The suspect consequently barricaded himself in an elevated position between the surface road and the proper, in which officers had to call SWAT to get him out.”
SWAT detained the suspect around 4:42 p.m. The response included patrol officers, SWAT officers, hostage negotiators, K-9 units and assistance from Travis County constable’s office and Austin-Travis County EMS.
Ben White Boulevard eastbound service road remains closed between South First Street and Congress Avenue as of 5:18 p.m. Thursday, and traffic on South First Street in both directions is experiencing heavy delays due to the incident. Officers expect to reopen the roadways soon, but did not provide an exact timeframe.
Zarling did not provide a description of the suspect but said the unnamed suspect was facing charges including four counts of deadly conduct.
The Texas Department of Transportation issued a road closure update at the time of the incident, reporting police activity at U.S. 290 and South First Street.
Austin police said a “traffic hazard hotshot” call came in at 12:42 p.m. Officers remained on scene Thursday afternoon actively working the incident, according to police. Police also confirmed a SWAT response at the scene.
Witnesses reported seeing at least 17 police vehicles and between five and seven EMS vehicles surrounding the area.
Live traffic map: Austin road conditions, closures