SWAT team responds to multiple high risk incidents

The SWAT team have to be ready to respond to a crisis at a moment's notice. So far this year the APD team has rolled on nine high risk call outs.Five involved criminal activity and four were to help people who are suicidal and in emotional distress. Friday, it was a case of double trouble for the team.

Police and SWAT team members were called to the Vue apartments on Blessing Ave a little before 9. They were responding to a report of multi gunshots being fired.

"We were kind of nervous, and the cops were like, oh go rush inside.

Beatrice Loredo , who lives across the street,  told FOX 7 she heard the shots. "I was, oh my gosh, it’s something serious we usually get a little crazy in this neighborhood, but nothing this big."

As a precaution, J.J. Pickle Elementary was put on lock down.

According to investigators the call for help came from one of these two women. They told a 911 dispatcher they were trapped inside an apartment with a disturbed man. “Being a 911 operator on that side of it, is very difficult because you are not able to see the people involved in the situation,” Said APD Sgt. David Daniels.

The man eventually surrendered and was taken into custody.

He was identified as Reynaldo Garduza and was charged with Deadly Conduct

While SWAT team members made quick work of this situation, it was already a very long day.

Around 3 am,  police were called  to the Budget Inn on Rundberg.

A woman claimed her husband was refusing to let her leave.

"Officers were safely able to get her out, and learned, further information, by communicating with the husband, who was our subject, stating that he wasn't going to come out of the room and he had a weapon and he was going to use it,” said Officer Bino Cadenas.

Motel guest were evacuated and placed into buses. By day break, the man continued to hold out. He allegedly broke through walls and was running between rooms to elude officers.

"He was having an emotional rollercoaster, cried, very angry,  to crying, so the hostage negotiator did a great job calming him down, able to get him situated in a room,” said Officer Cadenas.

The man was identified as James Samford. He was eventually cornered in a bathroom and taken into custody. Samford was charged Criminal Mischief. It’s believed he was intoxicated and also possibly on drugs.