UPDATE: SIRT response ends in arrest of Austin man wanted for robbery involving firearm

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(ABC 6 News) UPDATE 3/8/2023 – New details were released Wednesday morning by the Austin Police Department on what led to an arrest of a man on Tuesday night after police initiated its Special Incident Response Team.

Austin Police said they responded to a reported assault in the 300 block of 2nd St. SW just before 2:00 p.m. Tuesday. Officers met with a female who told them she had allegedly been assaulted by a female who had gone into a residence. The victim told officers that a man named Terrence Book was also in the residence and that he had stolen some of her property previously, and may be in possession of weapons. Austin Police said Book did have outstanding arrest warrants including for robbery involving a firearm.

The Austin Mower Special Incident Response Team (SIRT) was activated due to the risk law enforcement faced while attempting to serve the arrest warrant. A search warrant was also secured.

Austin Police said multiple attempts were made, and time given, in order to make contact with Book inside the residence. When those became unsuccessful, members of the SIRT team entered the home and found Book hiding in the attic. He was taken into custody, and placed in the Mower County Jail.

Officers located ammunition and two firearms inside the residence. One of the firearms had been reported stolen and appeared had been modified in order to work with a homemade silencer that was also seized.

In addition to Book’s arrest on the existing warrants, a report will be forwarded to the Mower County Attorney’s Office in consideration of filing new charges. A citation was also issued to the female suspect in the alleged assault.


(ABC 6 News) – An Austin man has been arrested after police surrounded a southwest Austin home for six-hours.

Terrance Book was arrested around 9 p.m. at a house on 2nd Street SW and 3rd Avenue SW.

Austin Police along with its Special Incident Response Team responded to the house around 4 p.m., after determining Book was in the house.

According to Commander Dustin Hicks with the Special Incident Response Team, Book has had multiple warrants for his arrest including felony first-degree aggravated robbery.

Hicks says Book was hiding in the attic and they spent those six hours doing a slow, methodical, sweep of the house.

One neighbor who lives in the house next door says police told her during that time she was not allowed to return to her home for safety reasons.

“I think it’s more troubling that us as a community that all of this is going on, not only for the police safety issues but also for the people within that home because a lot of things do happen and things get blown out of proportion,” Tammi Broussart.

Police said there was no threat to the public during the incident. Police also said Book has a criminal history and we’re expected to learn more Wednesday.