2 men found dead after hours-long standoff at southwest Houston apartment

2 men found dead inside apartment after SWAT standoff

Police say two men who were found dead inside of an apartment after a SWAT standoff may have died of an overdose. An investigation is underway.

HOUSTON - Police say an investigation is being conducted after two men were found dead, possibly from an overdose, following a SWAT situation at an apartment in southwest Houston.

Four other people managed to escape from the apartment during the seven-hour standoff that ended with a suspect in custody, police say.

SIGN UP FOR FOX 26 HOUSTON EMAIL ALERTS

The incident began around 2:18 a.m. Wednesday when police received a call about a suspicious person with a firearm in the 5200 block of Arboles.

According to the police department, when officers arrived, they could hear arguing between a male and female. Police say officers tried to get them to open the door, but a man started yelling at them and making threats against the officers.

According to HPD, a constable deputy was able to see inside and saw that the man was armed. Residents in the area had also reportedly told police that a man had come out and fired a shot earlier.

Around 3:30 a.m., police say a person who was in the apartment was able to escape from an upstairs window and told police that the suspect was armed and that there were other people inside.

SWAT was called to the scene a little after 4 a.m. Around 5 a.m., another person was able to escape from a window.

HPD says the Hostage Negotiation Team was able to get the suspect on the phone, but he was not cooperative.

Around 7 a.m., two more people were able to escape from the house.

Before 9 a.m., a SWAT team breached a window and they were able to take the suspect into custody.

While clearing the apartment, SWAT found two men dead inside of the apartment.

"We suspect that drugs may be involved and that an overdose may be involved," Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said. "We suspect drug activity may be involved by the suspect in this location."

Chief Acevedo says search warrants have been secured, and homicide investigators are responding to the scene.

"This will be conducted as a homicide/murder investigation because of these individuals. We had no knowledge that we had two people in there that may be in need of medical attention and that may be in need of medical intervention. And this suspect obviously potentially might have kept them there without the ability to get medical intervention. And subsequently, we have two dead people."

The investigation is ongoing.