Dad dies after holding his two terrified children hostage in 18 hour standoff
A man has died after holding his children hostage in a long standoff with police.
Sonny Ray Holland Sr, 43, was involved in an 18-hour standoff with the authorities as his scared children three and four remained indie. The children remained inside the home in Venus, Florida until yesterday when Holland agreed to let them go.
Later, SWAT teams tried to use gas canisters to draw Holland out but a shot was heard and the house then caught fire. Shots were fired at the SWAT team before Holland went back inside the burning building where he died. It is not clear how he died and an autopsy will be carried out to determine the exact cause of death.
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The incident began on Monday after police were called to a suspected domestic violence incident
Sonny Ray Holland Sr was declared dead (Highlands County Sherriff's Office)The incident began on Monday after police were called to a suspected domestic violence incident at a property. The victim had escaped and crisis negotiations were not able to coax Holland out as the children remained inside.
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A search and arrest warrant was obtained by detectives, who told Holland to come out over concerns for the the welfare of the children. After 12 hours, Holland agreed to let the children be handed into the care of Polk County's SWAT Team, who had relieved the Highlands County Sheriff's Office.
Sheriff Paul Blackman said: 'I want to commend our deputies, SWAT Team and Crisis Negotiators for giving their all for 12 hours on this incident. I also want to thank Sheriff Grady Judd and the Polk County Sheriff's Office for allowing us to utilise their resources and give our deputies a much-needed break. Our prayers are with the children and the rest of the family whose lives were forever changed today."
The children were taken to the hospital (Police at standoff)The children were taken to the hospital to be assessed by medical professionals and are in protective custody. The 10th Judicial Circuit Officer Involved Deadly Incident Task Force is investigating the incident.
Earlier this week, a Texas police officer was killed early Saturday in a shooting that left the shooter dead and a second officer wounded. Two other people were later found dead inside a home in Austin, according to interim Police Chief Robin Henderson.
An emotional Henderson, who paused often during a news conference and appeared to be choking back tears, said officers were called to the home shortly before 3am Saturday by a woman screaming that she was being stabbed.
One person escaped the home before officers arrived, Henderson said, and told police the man in the home was armed with a knife. Police then tried to enter the home and were met with gunfire, but did not return fire, retreated and called for a SWAT team, said Henderson, who did not take questions and was surrounded by about 10 other officers during her comments.
“SWAT officers arrived on scene and forced entry into the residence ... to rescue the victims,” Henderson said. “As SWAT officers entered the suspect immediately fired his gun at the officers and the SWAT officers returned fire.”
Two officers and the suspect were struck by the gunfire. The suspect was killed at the scene and the two officers were taken to a hospital, where one died and the second was in stable condition, Henderson said.
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