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Houston SWAT Standoff Ends with Man’s Suicide

SWAT officers say they came under fire when they tried to observe Hahn using a pole camera. He also reportedly began throwing Molotov cocktails at the officers. He then shot himself, police say.

October 25, 2007
1 min to read


A 12-hour SWAT standoff in the Houston area ended earlier today when the man killed himself.
The incident began when Harris County constables went to the man’s home to serve an eviction notice. James Hahn, 39, refused to come out, lit fires inside the dwelling, and pointed guns at the officers.

Houston SWAT responded.

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“We believe this particular individual did not want to go peacefully and was going to be here for the long haul,” Capt. Bruce Williams told KPRC. “He stated to the SWAT officers that we knew what he did for a living, so we knew what he was capable of doing and that he had chemicals inside the home.” Hahn was a chemist, who according to police, was dealing with drug and money problems.

SWAT officers say they came under fire when they tried to observe Hahn using a pole camera. He also reportedly began throwing Molotov cocktails at the officers. He then shot himself, police say.

After entering the home, officers found Hahn was wearing a gas mask and a chemical suit. Guns and explosives were found in the home. Hahn had also fortified his house by boarding up the windows and installing surveillance cameras.

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