Standoff in Lampasas County Ends Peacefully After NegotiationsStandoff in Lampasas County Ends Peacefully After Negotiations On Sunday, a tense standoff in Lampasas County culminated in a safe resolution thanks to the skillful negotiations of Sheriff Jess Ramos. The incident originated as a pursuit initiated by the Department of Public Safety in Mason County. A man driving a vehicle claimed he had children and a gun in the car. The chase ended on US Highway 281 in Lampasas, where the vehicle was immobilized with flat tires. Authorities attempted to contact the man via a PA system, but he remained unresponsive. Sheriff Ramos obtained the man’s cell phone number and engaged in phone calls and text messages for over an hour and a half. During the conversation, Ramos learned that the man had no children with him, only his dog. The man also expressed paranoia, claiming harassment by police and the involvement of the CIA. Sheriff Ramos’s patience and experience in handling such situations allowed him to gain the man’s trust. He convinced the man to surrender peacefully at 11:57 a.m. The man emptied his gun and placed it on his console. The individual was identified as 38-year-old Ryan Lopez of Pleasanton. He was arrested on charges of aggravated assault on a public servant with a vehicle, evading detention with a vehicle, and unlawful carrying of a weapon. Sheriff Ramos expressed gratitude for the assistance of other law enforcement agencies and attributed the successful outcome to patience and experience.
Lampasas, Tx (FOX44) – A lengthy negotiation led by Lampasas County Sheriff Jess Ramos brought to a safe conclusion a tense standoff involving a man with a gun in a car on the outskirts of the city of Lampasas on Sunday.
The incident began with a pursuit by Department of Public Safety troops that began earlier in the morning in Mason County. The man claimed to have children and a gun in his car and was uncooperative. The chase had ended on US Highway 281 on the south side of Lampasas in a construction area for the Putters and Gutters Fun Center. Three of the vehicle’s tires were already flat and the vehicle was resting on its rims. The resident asked for media and said he wanted to speak to the governor.
While the man claimed to have a child with him, officers on the scene could not actually see one. The man did not respond to calls for surrender made over a PA system.
After obtaining the man’s cell phone number when he called 9-1-1 with his demands, Sheriff Ramos made several phone calls and exchanged text messages with the man who claimed he had been harassed by police and that the CIA was involved. During the conversation, Sheriff Ramos learned that there were no children with the man, only his dog. The man threatened to shoot himself. Over a period of about an hour and a half, Sheriff Ramos was able to gain the man’s trust and convinced him to surrender without further incident. At 11:57 a.m., the man emptied his gun, closed the slide and left it on his console.
The man was identified as 38-year-old Ryan Lopez of Pleasanton and was taken into custody on two counts of aggravated assault on a public servant with a vehicle, two counts of evading detention with a vehicle and unlawful carrying of a weapon . An unloaded Ruger 9-millimeter semi-automatic pistol was found in the 2018 Toyota SUV. A statement said Lopez would be indicted and formally charged in other counties where violations occurred during the chase.
Sheriff Ramos expressed his appreciation for the assistance of all other law enforcement agencies and attributed the positive outcome to patience and experience in dealing with such incidents in the past.
