Eviction escalates to SWAT response in Deer Park
DEER PARK, Texas (KTRK) -- A daylong SWAT situation that continued into late Friday evening ended peacefully after authorities attempted to serve an eviction notice to a resident who threatened to shoot deputies, according Deer Park police.
It started around 9:30 a.m. when deputies with the Precinct 8 Constable's Office were in the area of P Street and Park Glen in Deer Park to serve a court-ordered eviction.
Authorities say that when deputies contacted the resident, later identified as 50-year-old Robert Young, through the front door. They say he was inside with his wife, 45-year-old Sunny Young.
Young said he was not coming out, racked a shot gun and threatened to "kill the officers on his property."
Lt. Chris Brown with Deer Park PD said the negotiation lasted several hours. The department later obtained an arrest and search warrant.
"Eventually, those negotiations broke down and we did breach the front of the house and we deployed gas inside the house, at which time he did come out of the house peacefully," Brown told reporters at the scene.
In addition, a search of the Harris County Appraisal District showed the home involved is owned by an auction company.
"This is not a normal eviction situation between like an apartment complex, this was actually an owner finance, foreclosure situation," explained Lt. Charles Francis with the Precinct 8 Constable's Office. "From what we could tell, this started back in 2017. Apparently, the actual occupants were approximately one and a half years behind on their payments before they were even foreclosed on them."
The incident prompted Deer Park Elementary to go on a precautionary lockdown. The home is more than a block away from the school.
Below is the message Deer Park Elementary School parents and guardians received Friday morning:
"This morning, Deer Park Elementary was contacted by Harris County Precinct Eight regarding a forced eviction that is taking place about a block away from the school (near the intersection of East P Street and Parkglen Street). The situation has resulted in the presence of a number of emergency vehicles in the area around the school.
As a precaution, county sheriffs recommended that we follow lockdown procedures for the duration of the event. They assure us that they have plenty of officers available to manage the situation, and they do not expect there to be an impact on the school.
I want to stress that we are following our normal routines whenever possible, and we are doing everything we can to make it a regular instructional day for our students. In most cases, there has been no interruption at all. However, some students have been moved away from areas with windows to other parts of the school.
Regards,
Whitney Rich
Principal, Deer Park Elementary"
