6:15 PM Update: Brown County Sheriff George Caldwell reported that the male subject has been talked out of the trailer and is now in custody.  Charges are pending, Caldwell said.

Caldwell stated that the male is in his 20s, not 30s as earlier reported.  He is a military veteran.  The male did not suffer stab wounds and had no injuries, contrary to an earlier report.

The reason for the hostage situation was not known at this time, according to Sheriff Caldwell who stated, “I am just glad everything worked out the way it did.”

Original Article: Brown County Sheriff’s Office and the Texas Department of Public Safety troopers responded to a hostage situation in Blanket, Texas Friday afternoon.

The situation began around 1:30 p.m. and involved a suicidal male with a gun who was holding a female hostage in a camper trailer on the property, according to Brown County Sheriff George Caldwell.  The relationship of the female to the male was not confirmed at this time.

 

DPS Troopers Fraiser and Sams are trained hostage negotiators and spoke with the male subject during the incident, and after hours of negotiation, the female was released with minor injuries, Caldwell stated.  The female reported to officers that the male had self-inflicted stab wounds and that he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to Caldwell. As of 4:40 p.m., officers are still negotiating with the male to surrender.

The male, whose name has not been released, was reported to live in the camper trailer on the property.  A family that lives in the main residence on the property was evacuated during the hostage situation, said Caldwell.

Brown County Sheriff’s Office, Texas Department of Public Safety, and Lifeguard EMS responded to the scene.  Blanket Volunteer Fire Department provided support for officers and provided use of their fire station during the incident according to Caldwell.