Seagoville Flashback is a recurring feature revisiting notable moments from Seagoville’s past, drawn from official city and police records.
This week’s Seagoville Flashback revisits a tense October 2018 incident in which officers faced down what appeared to be an armed and dangerous individual, a situation that ultimately tested the training and restraint of the Seagoville Police Department.
According to a news release from the City of Seagoville, dated October 4, 2018, officers responded on the afternoon of October 3, 2018 to a family disturbance in the 1000 block of Shadybrook Lane. Upon arrival, officers learned that a person armed with a handgun had forced other family members out of the home in fear.
Officers began negotiating with the armed individual in an effort to get him to exit the home safely. After a brief time, the release states, the individual came outside and stood on the porch. He was wearing a Halloween mask and holding a handgun, and according to police, he refused commands to surrender or relinquish the weapon.
Police said the individual appeared to be taunting officers into using deadly force. In response, one officer maneuvered into a tactical position out of the subject’s view and was able to deploy a Taser. The deployment was successful, causing the individual to drop the handgun. He was then taken into custody without further incident.
The handgun was later found to be an airsoft toy gun, though it was described as a replica of a large frame semi automatic handgun.
In the release, the Seagoville Police Department stated that all officers involved in the call exhibited exceptional restraint in what it described as a potential deadly force situation, calling it a reflection of the professionalism and training of officers within the department.
Looking back, this case remains a notable example of de escalation in action, and a reminder of the split second decisions officers are often required to make in situations where the true nature of a threat is not immediately clear.
Source: City of Seagoville News Release, dated October 4, 2018. Contact listed: Captain Steve Davis, Seagoville Police Department, (972) 287-6815.
